Soccer Cleats and History Sheets
by Firetoflame
Summary: It's senior year and Emma's place on the soccer team is riding on her passing Mr. Gold's history class. When one poorly finished paper threatens to have her kicked off the team, Emma finds herself face to face with her new tutor-the one person she can't manage to make a coherent sentence in front of-Regina 'freaking' Mills.
1. Chapter 1

Emma Swan paced the halls of Storybrooke High. She was the only person in the school this early besides the janitor who had already walked by her twice, pushing the enormous dust-mop and shooting her death glares for walking around on the polished floors in soccer cleats.

"Stop walking down this hall then," Emma called after him. "There's a whole damn school to clean."

He was lucky she hadn't tracked half the soccer field up the stairs with her. At least she'd had the decency to pace before practice and not after.

Emma heard the familiar click, click, click of cleats and her stomach growled in anticipation. Ruby shot around the corner at a run, her backpack flung over one shoulder and a brown paper bag in her hand. She stopped in front of Emma with a coy smile on her painted lips. She held out the bag, an offering that quickly turned trade. It swung lithely from her hand, teasing Emma. "What's the 911…bring breakfast all about, huh? You know I hate school before dawn."

Emma reached out but Ruby yanked her hand back.

"Come on, Rubes, I'm starving." She pouted and ducked her lashes.

It was pathetic and yet Ruby fell for it every time. She thrust the bag forward. "Alright, Em, knock it off. Eat your dang food."

Emma sank to the floor in front of the lockers with the brown bag clutched to her chest and a beaming smile on her face.

Ruby followed. "So, you come here often?" she joked.

"At six-thirty?" Emma said, cranking an eyebrow. "Only in my nightmares."

"Then what's with the early-bird wakeup call? I didn't even get to do my hair. And now Granny thinks I should wake up this early every morning and help with the diner."

Emma frowned around her mouthful of bagel and bacon. "M'sorry Rubes."

Ruby sighed. "It's fine. We have practice in twenty minutes anyway. But seriously, next time you're bringing _me_ breakfast."

"Your family runs the diner," Emma said.

"Not the point."

"But it's practical."

"You just like the free food."

"I also like the girl that has the free food," Emma said, quirking her lips.

Ruby scoffed. "Sure you do."

Emma knocked her shoulder against Ruby's. They had been best friends for as long as she could remember having memories, back when everything was about juice and cookies and sand-boxes. They had spent every moment of every major life altering, character building event together: the day Emma was finally adopted by her long-term foster parents Mary Margaret and David, the day Ruby's parents were killed in a car crash, the hours after Emma had been kissed by her first and last boyfriend Neal. They had crawled through freshman year and then the next two, scrapping grades, chasing crushes, winning soccer championships, and treading water in the sea of drama that was high school. Now they were at the top. Seniors in standing. And they liked it.

"So, what was so important that you had to be here before the sun was even up?" Ruby asked, feigning a look at her non-existent watch.

"History," Emma said after a swallow. "Had to finish the paper."

"You told your mom it was done," Ruby accused, pointing a long, skinny finger at Emma. It wagged and her tongue clicked disappointedly.

"I wanted to go out," Emma said on a shrug. "Don't even tell me you didn't think Graham's party was epic."

"It was fine," Ruby said.

Emma almost choked on her food. "Fine? August dove out of the second story window and into the pool. That's not just a fine party. That's senior year worthy, Rubes. And we only get to experience it once."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "But it's Gold's class."

"I know," Emma said.

"You can't fail it. They'll kick you off the team and then where would I be without my forward partner, huh?"

"Making goals and saving our ass as usual," Emma said.

Ruby pursed her lips. "Well, did you finish it then?"

"Yeah," Emma said, reaching into her bag and tossing Ruby a pink binder. "Read it and weep."

Ruby did. "Emma," she whined.

"Hey, I said it was done, I never pretended it was getting published. I just need to squeak by."

"You used Moby Dick as a reference for a paper on the history of whale hunting? Where did you even find that book? Lord knows you don't own it."

"Hey, I've read it," Emma said.

Ruby gave her the eye.

"Okay, so I might have skimmed a few pages over Belle's shoulder this morning."

"You went to the library?"

"Yeah, to grovel and beg Belle to take pity on my pathetic soul so her jerk of a boy toy wouldn't fail me."

"Did you use those exact words?" Ruby asked.

"Yes."

"And what did she say?"

Emma shrugged. "She laughed and then opened the door."

Ruby made a face.

Emma smiled. "There's hope for you yet Rubes." She ducked a head slap. "Hey, don't deny it. I see the way you watch her."

"Give it up, Emma."

"She's only, what, a few years older than us?"

"And dating Gold," Ruby all but spat.

"Must be the money," Emma shrugged. "That or he's really good in—"

"Ugh, don't even say it," Ruby said, covering Emma's mouth. "Not a picture I want this early in the morning."

"Yeah, touché. Not on a full stomach. What was I thinking?" Emma crumpled the brown paper bag and made a toss at the garbage. It went wide. She groaned and went to push herself to her feet. The clicky-clack of heels cut her off.

A flash of dark grey appeared. Regina Mills, student-body President, bent down in her matching skirt and jacket, picked up the remains of Emma's breakfast, and dropped it in the trash.

She turned her head, spotted Emma and Ruby, then she smiled crookedly. "Eat much in public do you?"

Emma opened her mouth and closed it.

Regina smirked. "The trash goes in the can."

"We were getting to it," Ruby snapped from her spot on the ground. Emma was stuck, frozen like a fool somewhere between sitting and standing.

"I guess it just says something about the team," Regina said. "You leave your trash lying around and you start to play like trash."

"The season just started," Ruby said. "We've had two games."

"Oh, is that what you call them. I thought that was a Storybrooke soccer obliteration."

"Don't pretend you know sports. You've got your nose shoved so far up the student budget you can't even see straight anymore."

"A student budget that affords the soccer team new uniforms and a bus to take them to all the games they are going to lose," Regina said. Her arms were crossed and her eyebrows raised, taunting, threatening.

"Yeah, okay." Ruby rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, boss-lady."

Regina stiffened, tilting her chin and waving her black hair over her shoulders. "Run along, Miss Lucas. I think practice is starting. And by the way you've been playing lately, you need it."

Ruby jumped to her feet and grabbed Emma by the collar, dragging her down the hall. "Thanks for the backup, Em." Ruby scowled the entire way to the field. "You know you can speak to the Queen bee. She won't fireball you into dust."

"Yeah," Emma said.

"Yeah, what? Yeah you have a tongue to make coherent words with or yeah your blatant infatuation with the world's jerkiest student body President is blinding your defensive instincts. You literally just threw me to the wolves."

Emma double blinked. "My what?" she shrieked.

"Oh, get off it Em. I don't even think drool would make it any more obvious."

Emma glanced between Ruby and the field where rows of red and white uniforms were doing laps. "We're late," she said. "And I definitely do not have feelings for Regina Mills." Emma made a face and tightened the straps on her bag until they cut into her shoulder blades. "As if."

* * *

**Let me know what you think? :D**


	2. Chapter 2

"So, you think you'll pass?" Ruby stopped at the door to Gold's classroom and unloaded the garbage that was stuffed in her bag. Practice had run late last night and Ruby hadn't even bothered opening her bag. By the time the diner was cleaned up for the night, she decided homework be damned. She was lucky she showered before falling asleep. If it wasn't for Emma's constant nervous texting she might have slept right through her alarm this morning,

"Pssh," Emma said as they walked to class. "Obviously." It had been two weeks. The papers were graded. Gold had finished with them. They were due back today with marks, highlighted with a big red circle. A pass or a fail. But Emma swallowed and reminded herself to breathe as her and Ruby slid into their seats.

Outside she was calm enough to stare absently at her cuticles, but inside her stomach was churning. Emma was almost certain that if she opened her mouth, she might actually throw up her vital organs. J_ust a pass_, she thought. _All I need is a fifty._ The mental chant became a prayer as she sat there. _Just freaking pass!_

She could feel Ruby's eyes boring into the side of her face.

Gold was getting closer, hobbling with his cane. The dull thud, thud of the rubber grip as it hit the ground in time with the uneven gait sent her heart spiraling.

"Stop staring," she whispered.

Ruby smirked. "You're not gunna pass out on me, Em?"

"Shh," Emma hushed. This was no time to make jokes. Her life could be over in a matter of seconds. _Oh, God. He was almost there._ Now she was really going to puke. Emma checked the distance to the garbage can. Would she make it?

"Three, two, one," Ruby counted down, seeing the pink binder come to the top of the pile in Gold's hand.

"Just a pass," Emma muttered as Gold dropped the binder on her desk. She closed her eyes as Gold placed the binder between her clenched fists. She heard Ruby's intake of breath, sharp and clipped. She couldn't look. "Did I pass?" she chanced.

"Not quite, Miss Swan."

Emma's eyes snapped open. _Not even a fifty?_ She should have gotten that just for finishing the stupid thing. She looked down. There was a great big fat ugly forty-six circled and underlined three times. Emma wanted to smash her head off the desk three times and break every red pen in existence.

"Seriously?" Her head fell back and she cursed. Gold was still there, staring at her. He looked genuinely sorry for a moment which didn't suit him at all. Emma felt just as confused as she did deflated.

"If I could give you an A for effort, though, I would." Gold smirked a little. Just a clever tilt of his lip, not enough to say he was making fun of her, but Emma could hear the gloating through that thick Scottish accent. She would tell him where to shove his accent in a minute. "I know how hard you must have worked on it," he continued.

_There it was_, Emma thought. _There's the underlying snark she loved to hate. Keep it coming, Goldilocks. Might as well get the ridicule over with._

His lips curled up at the corners just a little more. That signature condescending smirk, the one that winked his gold tooth. Emma groaned. Gold knew she put about as much effort into her paper as she put into matching her socks every morning.

Gold dropped Ruby's folder on her desk and veered around them to deliver the rest of the papers. Emma knew well enough that Ruby didn't run around scoring goals and passing at the top of her classes, but she always managed a solid B-, even at the worst of times. Emma would literally skydive off the roof of the school if she pulled a seventy.

"Well," Ruby said, bumping Emma's shoulder with her fist. "We haven't had a bench-warmer in a while. And on the plus side I think you still get a team jacket."

"Little ray of sunshine, aren't you?" Emma dropped her head on her desk. "My life is over."

"On the contrary Miss Swan," Gold said, hobbling back over to them. Ruby fixed him with her best eyebrow-popping glare, while Emma simply moped. "I've spoken to Ms. Blanchard . . ."

"You spoke to my mom?" Emma gasped. "Can this day seriously get any worse? I mean, come on!"

"That's typically what we do in these situations," Gold said. "The guidance counsellor gets involved." His smile trimmed off a little. "Lucky for you she seems to have a soft spot for you—"

"Har har," Emma said.

Gold simply continued. "And we have arranged a tutor. You will spend a month studying with her."

"A month!" Emma wailed. She was out of her chair, knuckles pressed into the pale wood-topped desk. "But that's four games."

"It's either that or the season," Gold said flatly. He didn't move from his spot, even with Emma baring down on him. "We will see how your grades improve after that. If you've made decent progress you can rejoin the team." He turned and fled to the front of the room. "Now take your seat."

Emma dropped on command and crossed her arms violently against her chest. She glowered under the mop of blonde hair. "Can I at least go to the practices?" she demanded.

Gold turned, from his spot at the board, tapering off at the end of today's note. "Of course Ms. Swan. You know what they say. Practice makes perfect."

Emma knocked her foot against the leg of her desk, repeatedly, annoyingly, and Ruby sighed. "Could have been worse," she said. Emma just shook her head.

"Hey, Mr. Gold," Ruby called.

"Hay is for horses, Ms. Lucas."

"Yea, erm, right. Anyway, who's Emma's tutor?"

When he turned around this time, his smile was entirely different. A sick, twisted pleasure different. And Emma knew she was in trouble.

"One of my brightest students," Gold said. "You probably know her. Regina Mills?"

Emma groaned and her head hit her desk. "Just got worse," she muttered.

"Agreed," Ruby said, patting her back. "Bet your mom just loved that," she muttered to the tangled strands of hair that were currently presenting as Emma's face. "She flipping hates Cora."

"And the mayor hates me by association, but Gold probably left that part out on purpose," came the empty reply. "Lucky for me."

"It's okay, Em. I'll get you ice cream. And we'll figure everything out."

"With sprinkles?" Emma asked in a small voice.

Ruby nodded. "I think this calls for the works."


	3. Chapter 3

Ruby licked her spoon so slowly the ice cream was starting to drip onto the vinyl table top. Chocolate sauce and too many sprinkles ran together in a gooey, rainbow mess that she was oblivious to. The same mess that Emma kept accidently putting her elbow in.

Ruby popped the spoon out of her mouth and absently smacked her lips, somehow making the act of eating ice cream with your best friend in a rundown diner booth extremely sexual.

Emma glanced over her shoulder and noted the dark eyes that were trailing their corner. That happened a lot with Ruby. People liked to stare. She didn't do it on purpose, drawing all the attention. There was just something about her most people couldn't resist. The smile. The way she waved the long strands of hair over her shoulder. The limbs that never seemed to end, no matter how short the uniform got. That primal, unmatched confidence. It was why Ruby and Regina didn't get along. They both had it. The only difference was that Emma was used to Ruby, Regina on the other hand, well, Emma didn't want to think about it since she would be working, one-on-one with the girl in a matter of days.

She shook her head and caught Ruby's eye. They were still huddled in the back corner of the diner, savoring the last moments of sweet deserts and silence before Ruby's shift started.

"Okay, so maybe it won't be so bad," Ruby said, her voice high with false honesty. "Maybe it can be all business. No drama."

"Are you freaking kidding me, Rubes?" Emma took an anxious bite out of the top of her swirled cone and immediately cringed. She swallowed and shoved her head in to the corner of her elbow. "Ah, brain-freeze," she muttered. "I hate that shit."

Ruby simply nodded and continued clanking her spoon against the bottom of her bowl.

When Emma surfaced from her momentary headache she said, "I'd have better luck in a snake pit. We both know Regina's going to rip me apart for being a complete moron."

"And all you'll be able to do is stare and drool." Ruby didn't even need to look at Emma to know she was right.

"Shut up," Emma whined, pouting like a child. "It's not my fault. She's just, so . . . uh, Regina Mills. How else can you describe her?" Emma had abandoned her ice cream upside down in Ruby's empty bowl. It was making her stomach turn.

"I can think of a few things," Ruby said. "Evil, mean, nasty, coercive, self-ce—"

Emma grabbed her arm. "You're wasting your breath, Rubes. It changes nothing, I'm sorry."

"That's why see's so evil, Em. She's got you dangling and you've barely said a coherent thing to her. Ever!"

"Because it's her. I can't just speak to her. I'll like turn to stone or something."

"You know, I wonder if she'll come to your house." Ruby's eyes widened. "Oh, wouldn't that be awkward. And with your parents around, all glary and hateful. Gods, you better hope you don't take forever to learn this shit or you'll have to start asking her to stay for dinner and then someone will die of a heart attack."

Emma winced, the idea of spending a dinner alone with Regina and her parents causing her physical pain, though the idea of being alone for dinner with Regina and her mom, Cora, made Emma want to jump through a glass window. "I'm just gunna suggest the library. It would be easier for both of us, I think."

"Ooo," Ruby said, waggling her eyebrows. "Maybe I'll tag along. Keep you company, though I think you're safe in public. She can't rip your heart out and stomp on it if there's people around to see."

Emma smirked across the table and leaned forward, whispering, "You just want to see Belle."

Ruby shrugged. "And be there for my best friend, obviously. But if Belle happens to be there, that's fine too."

"She's the librarian, smart-ass. I'm sure she'll be there."

Ruby smiled coyly. "Oh, Emma," she sighed.

"Yeah, whatever. You're more whipped then I am."

"But the point is I take action."

"Yes, because your impressive flirting has gotten you so far."

"I'm still warming up. She's with Gold." Ruby feigned vomiting in her mouth. "I have to take it slow. Can't act like a love sick puppy, now can we?"

"I am not a love sick puppy," Emma declared.

"Tell that to your cheeks whenever Regina walks by. If only you could feel her dagger eyes for what they really were, Em."

"What's that supposed to mean."

Ruby crossed her arms. "You're my best friend and I support you through everything, even Neal, and we both know how awkward that was."

"Yeah," Emma murmured, drawing patterns into the table-top. "We're better as friends."

"Uh-huh," Ruby said, "but there needs to be a line drawn here. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Nothing's going to happen, Rubes."

"Emma, you've been secretly pining after Regina for two years. Tell me that working with her as your tutor isn't sending your head squirrely. Tell me right now you're not imagining her hip pressed against yours as she sits beside you muttering some boring history garbage in your ear."

Emma swallowed and Ruby laughed. "You're just about panting," she said.

"Am not and I'll be fine. I can handle a couple hours a week with Regina. I'm not incompetent. I'm keeping this strictly professional."

"Okay, good, because we really need you back on the team. The longer it takes you to pull your crap together the longer you're benched." Ruby looked sternly at Emma. "Don't let Regina get in the way."

Emma wanted to recoil into her seat. "Geesh, Rubes. You're worse than my parents."

"Well, they're right. Mayor Mills is trouble, why would her daughter be any different?"

Emma's smile trimmed off. Why indeed? Just because her heart pounded at the thought of the dark eyed brunette didn't change the fact that Regina would never in one-point-two-five million years give Emma the time of day.

"Just promise me you'll be careful," Ruby begged. "I love ya, Em."

Emma waved her head dramatically. "Alright, alright. No need to get mushy. I'll be careful."

The doorbell chimed and a swarm of people crowded into the diner. "Ruby, we have customers," Granny barked from behind the counter.

Ruby groaned, peeling herself off the faux leather booth cushion inch by inch. "Yeah, yeah. I'm coming."

"Now!"

She jumped out of the booth and shoved a notepad and pen into her apron. "Jeesh. Alright. I'm going right now," she called. She grimaced before turning back to Emma. "So are you gunna hang around. Dinner rush will be gone in like a half-hour."

Emma shook her head and finished her drink in one noisy slurp. "Nah, I gotta bail. The rents will probably want to sit down and discuss my new regiment. School. Homework. And bed." Emma clapped her hands to punctuate each word.

"Er, yeah, that's gunna suck. I hope they at least let you practice with us."

"Ruby Lucas, don't make me come over there!"

Ruby spun with her hands on her hips. "I was taking her order, Granny. Jeez."

Emma stood and slid around Ruby nudging her with her bag.

"And now she's leaving," Ruby said, gesturing wildly after Emma. "Thanks a lot."

Granny waved the dish towel at her granddaughter. "Take orders from the paying customers, young lady."

"Hey," Ruby defended. "Emma pays."

"Yeah. In pocket lint," Granny said. "Now get to work."

"Bye, Mrs. Lucas," Emma called from the door. She gave a little wave.

"Have a good night, dear."

"Oh sure, so you can be nice to Emma, but—" the rest of the conversation faded when the diner door closed. Emma inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with the feeling of free. She walked home, dragging her feet to slow down the two block journey. These would be the last moments of freedom she would have in weeks, no doubt, and if she couldn't get her history grade under control, maybe even months. Isn't that just like her life to take away what she loved most? One she couldn't have because she was too stupid, and the other, well, she probably wasn't good enough for Regina Mills anyway, so what did it matter.

"Maybe me and happy just don't mix." She kicked a rock over the edge of the sidewalk and sent it spiraling into the nearest yard, knocking an ear off a garden gnome. _Dammit._ "Maybe I'm freaking cursed."

* * *

**Okay, so reviews are nice. Just in case you want to leave one, they go down at the bottom ;D**


	4. Chapter 4

It was Thursday. Not a busy night by most standards, and really, most people were probably already heading to bed or at least shutting down for the night, but her phone kept beeping.

Over and over the reminder dinged, telling Emma and her parents that another text message was going unanswered. Mary Margaret and David tried to ignore it, but they had to face it, Emma was popular. Even if they considered the fact that most of the messages would be from Ruby, Mary Margaret couldn't deny that they got a great deal on Emma's cell phone bill. David ran his hands over his face and switched the device to vibrate.

Emma peeked through the crack in her door, following the thin patch of light with her eyes. She could see her parents in the kitchen, their wispy disappointed shadows moving about. Deciding her fate. Her mom was at the sink, washing the dinner plates, her dad standing in contemplation with his hands spread along the counter, supporting himself.

_Gosh_, Emma thought. It was just one class. She could always make it up over the summer. Was taking away her phone really necessary?

She heard the phone again, now buzzing non-stop against the quartz counter-top. Her mom's eyes flickered to the screen. Emma bit her lip and held her breath. She really hoped Ruby wasn't saying anything stupid. Or that August wasn't filling her in on one of his half-baked schemes that would either end in death or jail time. Or that Graham wasn't trying to sell her weed again. All in all, the conversations that happened on that phone were a bad reflection of who Emma really was. It was just the unfortunate reality of the friends she chose to surround herself with: stupid ideas and big mouths. They were good people, really. They just liked to make bad decisions.

Like flunking history. Not one of her brightest ideas.

Emma adjusted her position by half an inch. She couldn't hear anything with the water running and she was too far away to attempt lip reading, so she relied on the body language. Right now, things didn't look good. Her dad shook his head, fingers wrapping around the edge of the counter. Her mom gave a pathetic shrug and dried her hands on a towel before picking the phone up. Emma backpedaled. They were walking this way. Right towards her, where she was supposed to be reviewing history, not eavesdropping like a fool. Crap. _Crap. Crap!_

She tripped on her backpack, sprawling like a crab. When her elbows hit the hardwood she groaned and rolled over, inhaling and exhaling the pain through gritted teeth.

"Emma?" her mother said. The door creaked and swung open.

"Yeah."

"What was that . . . what are you doing on the floor?"

Emma laughed nervously. "Oh! Uh, I was . . . found it," she said, dragging a dusty pencil case from beneath her bed. She looked over her shoulder. Were they buying it? Yep, she was in the clear. She gave them a tentative smile. "So, my most favorite people in the entire universe." Her mother couldn't hide the smile that tugged on the corner of her mouth. "Did you come up with a verdict yet?"

"Yes," her dad said. He was better at hiding it, the daddy's-girl-complex, but his shoulders relaxed and some of his resolve withered when he looked at her. "We'll give you two minutes. Text Ruby, tell her there is no phone communication after school. You're grounded until further notice—"

Emma sat up on her knees. "But—"

"Except for soccer practice," her dad continued. "You'll have your phone while you're at school in case of emergencies."

"That's a drag," Emma said. Understandable, but she didn't like the sound of this _until further notice thing_. She jumped to her feet and reached for her phone. Her mom didn't quite let it go right away.

"We're serious Emma. Something has to change. You need to pass this course. Colleges will start looking at you soon and if you want a soccer scholarship you have to have the marks to back it up."

"I know," Emma sighed. "I'm working on it."

"Okay." Her mom released the phone, but held onto Emma's hand. "We love you, you know that, right. Nothing you do will ever change that."

"Ugh, yes, you tell me every day," Emma said. This was the adoption clause, as Emma liked to call it, coming into full effect. She was adopted, okay. Everyone knew. She knew. Her parents knew. Even the little old lady down the street with one eye, knew. People in Storybrooke just knew everything. But every time Emma got in trouble or reprimanded or anything out of the ordinary happened, her parents would look at her and freeze up a little, almost like they thought she would crack or break or rebel against them. Like a little punishment would make her hate them. It had been thirteen really great years since Emma had come out of foster care and nothing was about to change that. These were her parents, blood relation or not. "I know you love me. I just flunking history, I'm not depressed. You know you're my parents and nothing will ever change that, right?"

Her dad pulled her into a hug, cupping the back of her head. He bent down and kissed the part in her hair. "Well, would it kill you to say it back every once and a while?" Emma's face was squished into his chest, but she muttered a quick "love you," anyway.

"Go study," her mom said, giving her a watery smile. "We'll be back shortly for the phone."

Emma nodded and waited for them to leave before checking her phone, glad for the hug session to be over. Too many emotions at once made her nauseous. She glanced at the screen and gaped. There were twenty-seven messages from Ruby alone, most of them lonely question marks waiting for Emma's non-existent replies, but still. She scrolled through the one sided conversation. Ruby sent her confused little faces with raised eyebrows and texts full of nothing but ellipses. Then the tactic changed. Emma read the last text.

**Dear Mary Margaret or David, whoever is holding Emma's phone hostage at the moment. May I PLEASE say goodnight to her? :(**

Emma smirked. **Nice touch with the frowny face**, she wrote.

Ruby's reply was immediate. **So you're totally grounded, right?**

**Yep.**

**Sucks, but I'm not surprised.**

**Me neither.**

**Did you tell em yet?**

**What?**

**Regina?**

**No! One bad thing at a time.**

**So it's a secret?**

**For now.**

**I think you want her to be a secret. Your secret. Aww . . . that's kinda hot.**

**Seriously? My parents are going to read this after.**

**Delete it then, stupid.**

**Then they'll know I'm hiding something.**

**Fine. Just say goodnight and delete the rest. I'll kept your dirty little secret for now ;) **

There was a knock on Emma's door. She hit the trash can icon repeatedly and sent one last text.

**Night Rubes. See you tomorrow .**

Emma dropped the phone into her mother's waiting palm and sighed. This was going to suck.

* * *

The only thing worse than no phone at night, was having to meet her tutor at lunch for the first time. Emma stared at the rolled up note Mr. Gold gave her again, eyes bugging out. Maybe the words would change if she looked at them long enough. Maybe this was all a dream and she would wake up soon. Regina's neat cursive (who even writes like that anymore) marked the pages in two identical, perfectly spaced rows.

**_Ms. Swan,_**

**_Meet in the library at noon. I would like to go over a study schedule and your course notes. -R_**

_Gods_, Emma thought. She wants my notes. What notes?

"Ruby," Emma whispered. "I don't take notes."

"And that might be half your problem right there." Ruby was preoccupied with her phone, hastily texting under her desk.

"Seriously, what do I do?"

"Tell her you lost them."

"She'll think I'm an idiot."

"Emma," Ruby deadpanned. "She's your tutor. I'm pretty sure she already thinks you're an idiot."

"Your confidence is so overwhelming," Emma snipped. "It just makes my heart melt."

Ruby shrugged, pocketed her phone and picked up her binder. She dropped it on Emma's desk. "Start copying," she said. "You have one hour."

* * *

**Yay, new chapter. Okay so I was going to put this last bit in the next chapter but I couldn't decide how I wanted the first one on one interaction between Emma and Regina to go. Does Emma bail and Regina has to track her down. Is it all awkward, I like you but I'm not going to say anything, weirdness. Will Regina be her typical sassy self with Emma, or will something else happen. Let me know what you want to see happen. Oh, and thanks for reading, following and reviewing. It makes my day. :D**


	5. Chapter 5

There were ten minutes until lunch. Emma had a blister on her finger the size of a quarter and she had barely broken the seventh page of Gold's impossibly detailed and historically blah-blah-boring notes. The one's she was copying off Ruby. When did Ruby even find time to take notes this detailed? She usually spent most of the class texting. But more importantly, where was Emma when Gold was saying all this crap?

She scowled at her paper, still mostly blank, and rubbed her seizing knuckles.

Why did she have to be so stupid?

And why did her stomach have to growl so loudly?

Maybe she should ditch the notes and eat first. Grilled cheese sounded good. Friday's were always the days they went to Granny's for lunch. Emma licked her lips in anticipation. But gods, she was so nervous. What if she puked all over her notes? Okay, so she was skipping lunch. Ruby would understand. But what if the library was insanely quiet, just like libraries usually were, and her stomach chose that exact moment to gurgle like the swamp thing?

Emma felt the red flames of embarrassment grab her cheeks just at the mere thought. How was she ever going to survive this?

"You're going to be late," Ruby hissed, waving her hand in front of Emma's face. "Hello, did you hear me? Regina freaking Mills is going to have you paged over the announcements if you don't get your butt downstairs."

Emma turned so fast her neck locked in place. Shit. It was almost noon. Regina would be there, no doubt stomping her clicky heels and sighing indignantly. She would roll her eyes and inspect her nails and decide that this tutoring business was a complete waste of time. "I am so screwed." Emma stuffed the papers she had been frantically copying into her bag and zipped it while heading for the door. She skipped sideways, still trying to talk to Ruby. "Thanks for the notes," she called. "Gotta ditch on lunch. Meet you after?"

"If you survive," Ruby said with an ominous eyebrow wiggle. "Give her royal highness hell for me, kay."

Emma turned and sprinted down the hall, turning left twice and then descended into lunchtime pandemonium. One and two and hurdle the next. Emma was taking the stairs in multi-step leaps, barely managing to avoid the pairs of legs that belonged to the people who chose to eat their lunch in the stairwell. She ducked under footballs, and spun around groups of congregating cliques before she skidded to a halt just outside the library, where the chaos seemed to spontaneously end. Through the paneled windows she could see the length of tables and rows upon rows of dog-eared books. Her eyes roamed for Regina. Was she here? How long had she been waiting?

Emma checked her phone quickly, doing a two footed dance. She was so nervous. There were knots in her stomach. She could actually feel her intestines twisting around her vital organs. She exhaled sharply and grabbed her stomach. There was no way that was a good sign.

"You know, dear. It's quite inconvenient to stand in doorways. It tends to block traffic."

"I'm blocking what now?" Emma muttered. She turned to glance over her shoulder and immediately her mouth went dry. Oh, gods. She was here. Regina freaking Mills was right behind her. Emma spun, tangling her legs and stumbled into the wall. _Breathe_, she reminded herself. _Just breathe and thank gods there was a wall here to catch you._

"If you think you're going to learn anything lingering out here—"

"No, I wasn't," Emma said quickly. She looked over her shoulder where moments ago she had been spying for a glimpse of Regina. "I was just—" She turned back. Regina was staring at her. Right at her. Eye to eye. Oh, those eyes. Creamy chocolate. _Just breathe_.

"Shall we?" Regina said, nodding to the door.

"Shall we what?" Emma blanked. Was she making any sense?

Regina rolled her eyes and pushed past Emma. "Whenever you're ready to learn something, Ms. Swan, I'll be in there."

"That went well," Emma said to herself when the door slammed in her face. She grabbed the handle, meaning to yank the door open and follow Regina inside, but instead she found herself frozen. She was about to sit across the table from Regina Mills. Student-body president. Spawn of her parents' least favourite person in the entire world. Ruby's high school nemesis. And the one person that made Emma dream and wake up with drool on her pillow. Was this even real? Emma had to pinch herself before working up the nerve to actually open the door.

Once she was inside, finding Regina was easy. The brunette stood out. The way she was dressed. The way she carried herself. The glare that was fixed on Emma from across the room. Emma walked deliberately, rubbing away the shiver that had shot down the length of her arms. If looks could kill, she'd be dead right about now.

"Nice of you to finally join me," Regina said dryly. "You've only wasted fifteen minutes."

"Sorry," Emma said. "I was—"

Regina shrugged indifferently. "Look," she began. "I get it. You don't want to be here anymore than I do. Trust me, Ms. Swan, this is the last arrangement I wanted to be involved in," Regina even made the act of looking disgusted and wrinkling her nose appear tasteful, "considering our parents' blatant detest for one another, but I am student body President and I do have a duty to my fellow peers, so here I am."

"Right," Emma said under her breath. "And tutoring the hopeless never looks bad on a college application."

Regina smirked. Emma was sure of it. Her mouth had hooked a little at the corner, just enough to lift her cheek.

"Now," Regina prompted, scanning the single piece of paper that lay in front of her. "I presume you've covered up to the industrial revolution in class and the effects it had on society?"

Emma was fixed on the slender finger that kept running along the highlighted topic headings. She couldn't stop staring. Was a finger supposed to look so sexy? The dark purple nail polish was kind of turning her on. Wait, what had Regina asked her? "Uh, yeah, I guess, er, I think," Emma rambled, pulling her binder open and hastily piling the half-recorded notes she had been transcribing earlier from Ruby's book. She bit the inside of her cheek. Late. Disorganized. A complete and utter moron. What else would she manage to make of herself in the next twenty minutes?

Regina pursed her lips. She wasn't impressed. Emma could see it from beneath her eyelashes as she flipped through her limited notes. She was trying really hard not to look up at the siren's stare. The one that would leave her light-headed and drowsy. Were eyebrows even supposed to arch like that?

"Is there something wrong, Ms. Swan?"

"Um, no, I—" Flip. Flip. _Flip_. What was she even supposed to be looking for?

"Have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about, do you?"

Emma inhaled, held her breath, and after a long minute a deflated sigh escaped. "No."

"I figured as much," Regina said. "Your first task is to borrow someone's notes from class, preferably someone with handwriting that is more legible than yours and photocopy them. No use having something you can't read."

"That's it?" Emma said.

"For now," Regina stated plainly. "I simply wanted to see where we stand and clearly we have a lot of work to do." She stood from her chair and Emma did the same, gathering her binder into her arms. Regina stopped and looked at Emma for a moment, one eyebrow raised. "And perhaps next time we meet you'll be able to make more than one complete and coherent sentence. I presume you are also getting help in English as well."

"I, uh . . . " Emma scowled. "No, I, um . . ."

Regina looked down at her phone, scrolling through a schedule, and waved off whatever Emma was about to say. "Well, that's beside the point. I'll meet you tomorrow morning. The library again if you can make it. No big soccer plans tomorrow?"

"But it's Saturday!"

Regina frowned and it was enough. She didn't even have to open her mouth.

Emma gritted her teeth and jerked her head back and forth. Okay, so Regina had it out for the soccer team and her Saturday mornings. What was wrong with pancakes and cartoons? "I'll be here," she managed to say just before Regina stalked off.

Emma looked around, still unable to believe that just happened. She hooked her bag over her shoulder and marched straight to the cafeteria instead of to last period. Ruby had spare and she needed her best friend right now.

The brunette smiled tentatively when she saw Emma coming, dropping the cards she had been using in a game of Solitaire. She didn't even flash her teeth. "So, how'd it go? Did you melt the Queen's heart?"

"No!" Emma declared, dropping into a seat and laying her head on the table. Blonde hair splayed everywhere."But I think she's stolen mine." She squeezed her eyes tight. "Ruby, help me. I can't do this."

Ruby sighed. "You have it real bad, Em. This calls for some desensitization."

"Some what?"

"We have to figure out what it is about Regina that makes you go all ga-ga and then help you get over it." Ruby pounded her fist on the table. "I really need you to pull your head out of your butt and pass this class. You have to get over Regina or else."

"Or else what?" Emma muttered. Maybe she didn't want to get over her. Maybe she wanted to pine forever. Flunk forever. Be tutored forever. Have her heart walloped and beaten and stomped on forever, held up by the chains that were her lust for Regina freaking Mills. No one ever died from extended exposure to something they could never have, did they?

"You know what," Ruby said, needling her side with a long finger.

Emma squirmed away.

"It will be all sorts of bad if you don't get over her. No soccer. Your parents find out. Pretty much eternal high school damnation." Ruby's eyes narrowed. "I thought you wanted to get out of this town and see the world. You're supposed to take me to Tibet. I want to see lemurs and stuff. You promised."

"Alright, alright," Emma grumbled. "We'll see your damn lemurs."

Ruby smiled greedily. "Good. Now, let's go figure out why you can't say more than three words in front of her majesty."

* * *

**Yay, new chapter. Thanks for reading. Review if you can . . . where do you think this love-hate relationship is going to go? Will Ruby ever turn wing-woman for Emma? Will Emma ever pass history? Let me know what you think ;D**


	6. Chapter 6

Emma's heart beat wildly, each step echoing the drum in her chest. She wanted to race up the steps at mock speed, hurl herself onto her bed, and shriek into a pillow. But she didn't. She was cool. She was calm. At least, that's what she kept telling herself. She just prayed that her brain and her body were in sync.

"I didn't know your parents had a loft."

That sounded like Regina's _I'm impressed_ voice. Good. Emma straightened up; now level with the brunette who was occupying the step with her. "Yeah, my room's on the top floor," she said, reaching the last step. Wasn't it? Her head was foggy, but whatever. Regina freaking Mills was right beside her. Within hand holding distance.

Oh, gods! Regina was right beside her! Emma blanked. The most glorious and beautiful person she had ever laid eyes on was steps from her door. Had she even cleaned her room this morning? Probably not. But she at least made her bed, right? And thrown out the empty juice boxes? And boxes that once held an assortment of bear claws that she happily ate by herself. No? It was all still piled beneath her bed? Of course it was. When did she ever clean anything?

"Just don't look around too much," Emma said, biting the inside of her lip. "I try to keep the slob to a minimum, but somehow it always runs wild behind this door." She twisted the knob and entered, taking two breaths before Regina chuckled.

"I'm not here to inspect your room, Emma."

That stopped her mid-step. _Emma? _That was a first. A never before has this happened in the fate of the universe anomaly. It stirred a warm feeling in the pit of Emma's stomach. And somewhere her heart had just sprouted wings and began fluttering. "Oh . . . yeah, right," she muttered. "Why did you want to come up here again?" Emma honestly couldn't remember. She didn't remember Regina coming over or inviting her in or the conversation that had led them to her room. It was as if they had both materialized on the stairs in her parent's loft with one goal in mind. And when did her room move upstairs? She had always had the downstairs room, the one right off the kitchen and closest to the bathroom. Weird.

"I just, thought we could talk, you know, somewhere private." Regina moved towards her, one small step at a time. All Emma could do was stare. She stared when Regina smiled darkly. She stared when Regina's eyes fluttered, close enough to dust her cheeks. And she stared when every breath she took pressed her chest against Regina's.

All she could smell was apples and cinnamon. It made her head spin and still, the brunette came closer, personal space be damned. "Regina. . . uh, Regina, what are you doing?" Emma managed to whisper. Her question, her thoughts, it was all eclipsed by a pair of dark red lips. Lips that crushed her own in a molded dance and then dropped lower to taste her neck. _I've died and gone to heaven_, Emma thought, shivering with each pass of Regina's mouth. She tried to form words, but when an unrestrained growl bubbled at the back of her throat she snapped her mouth closed, afraid of the sounds she would make.

Firm hands suddenly wrapped around her shoulders, steadying her and completely throwing her off balance all at once. Emma backed up, pulling them both to her bed. And the next thing she knew her head hit the pillow and Regina was sprawled on top of her; every beautiful, long limb draped over Emma in some ridiculously close fashion.

Emma wriggled down and wrapped her hands around Regina's waist. She was soft and her skin flamed wherever Emma put her hands. Right now she was content to let them rest against Regina's hips, occasionally dipping under the white blouse in search of that tingling warmth.

Regina breathed heavily, her face against Emma's neck. A scorching kiss was placed along her collar bone and Emma found it difficult to swallow, until Regina forced her leg between both of Emma's, slowly rocking her hips, and then Emma forgot how to breathe. She whimpered and reached for whatever part of Regina she could get a firm hold on, her own hips rocking now, meeting Regina in the most exhilarating places. It felt so good. She could stay like this forever. Tangled and entwined, both separate and yet very much together. But she wanted more, fingers ached for it, her mouth yearned for it. More of Regina. More skin. More of her lips. She wanted to see her eyes. But Regina wouldn't look at her, not directly. Emma felt like she was searching blind.

Her hands scoured for a hold, clawing around the edges of a soon to be shredded tank-top, exhaling loudly went Regina increased the speed of her movements. Unconsciously, Emma linked one of her legs around the back of Regina's thigh, creating an entirely new mix of pleasant feelings. "Oh, Emma," Regina purred into her ear. "Emma, _Emma_ . . ."

"EMMA!"

The blonde bolted awake, neck stiff from leaning against the side of Ruby's desk. She wiped the drool from her cheek, knocking her elbow against the wall. "Damn," she muttered, brushing off her foggy delusion. She looked at Ruby with the one eye she could manage to keep open. "That's the last time I let you try to hypnotize me," she said through a yawn.

"You fell asleep," Ruby accused.

"What do you expect, I'm tired."

"Must have been some dream," Ruby murmured.

Emma groaned, still very much turned on. "It was."

"About?"

As if Ruby didn't know. Emma just smirked.

"This problem is bigger than what I even thought," Ruby said, flopping down on her bed. She spun around and dangled her head off the edge, so she was looking at Emma upside down. "I just don't get what about her you find so appealing. She's a bitch, to put it mildly."

"To you," Emma said, dragging her backpack towards her. She was sure there was a pack of cookies somewhere at the bottom.

"To everyone," Ruby said pointedly. "Even her little lackeys. Have you ever heard how she actually speaks to Sidney or Katherine? It's like they're the gravel beneath her knock-off pumps."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "First of all Katherine is a jerk and Sydney's a weasel. They bring half of it on themselves. And secondly, we both know they're not knock offs."

Ruby scowled. "Well, fine. Maybe if I could deal with all of that, I'd agree that she's kind of hot. If you can get past that royalty-with-a-stick-up-my-ass attitude she's got, which I can't, because it pretty much defines her as the person I hate most in the world."

"I don't think she means to be that way," Emma said, tearing into the plastic wrapper so she could eat. Food always helped her think and right now she needed to think.

"You are so whipped, Em." Ruby tossed a pillow at her. "And so in denial."

"Then leave me alone," Emma said, catching the throw. "I like my denial."

Ruby growled in defeat. "Look, you're my best friend and I love you and I understand you better than anyone else in this world and I just can't deal with the fact that I _can't_ understand your inability to go one day without fantasizing about _her_."

"I don't know. There's just something about her. More than what she acts like, Rubes. I just know there's something more there. More than that hard exterior she lets everyone see."

"Keep telling yourself that."

"Nobody is _really _like that."

"You don't know that."

"I don't know why they'd want to be," Emma said quietly. Sure, people acted mean and cruel and tough, but under it all they were usually scared. She knew that better than anyone. A few years in the foster system will do that to you. With an attitude and something to prove it took Mary Margaret and David a while to actually break through the walls that Emma would throw up when she was frightened, when she needed someone more than anything she would work twice as hard to push them away. She still did that sometimes, even now, because it was a hard habit to break, and she saw bits of herself in Regina Mills. Bits and pieces of someone that she wasn't even sure existed.

"_Why?_" Ruby said, pure hatred fueling her argument. "Because they treat people like the cockroaches they think they are. Regina's just like her mother. They walk all over people. That's why they get respect, because people are afraid of them."

"It must be pretty lonely," Emma said, squeezing the pillow to her chest. "Why would anyone want a life like that?"

"Good question," Ruby said, rolling onto her stomach. Her smirk was bitter more than anything, well, except a little annoyed. "You can ask her that tomorrow, when she bags on you for not getting your notes done."

Emma groaned. "Maybe I'll just highlight the textbook."

"Didn't she say to just photocopy them?"

"Yeah, but I don't feel like sitting around my printer all night. If I have to spend my Saturday at the library, let's go out tonight."

"You're grounded, remember? Your parents only let you out because you had to finish your history notes and I had to work. We were supposed to spend all night in the diner with Granny supervising and so far we've blown up a grilled cheese sandwich."

"It was cold!"

Ruby continued rhyming off things on her fingers. "I ditched work early so Granny's going to dock my pay thank you very much. We went to look for a book solely on the industrial revolution so you wouldn't look like an idiot in front of Regina and you haven't even tried to read it yet."

"That one was your idea," Emma said. "And don't pretend for a second that you didn't want to go see Belle."

"Not important," Ruby said. "We ate seven Apollo bars between us and now I owe Graham six bucks. And you had a kinky dream about Regina because I hypnotized you to sleep. Nowhere in that scheme of things did you actually do anything relevant to learning history or preparing for tomorrow." She was almost breathless. "Did you forget that the whole point of this is to get you back on the soccer team?" She rolled off her bed, landing in front of Emma and took hold of her shoulders. "Soccer, Em! The thing you live and breathe for?"

Emma shook her off with a laugh. "Don't be so dramatic, Ruby, I know. It's all going to be fine. You can walk me home and I'll get some studying in before bed."

"Emma," Ruby scolded.

"I'm serious. But first can we stop at the Rabbit Hole and play one round of pool? You know they only have underage night once a month and I'm probably going to be grounded for the next one, so please? My parents don't have to know anything besides the fact you were walking me home." She pouted and folded her hands together. "Pretty please, Rubes. If not I'll be a social prisoner for the next four weeks."

"Emma Swan, how dare you use the puppy dog eyes on me," Ruby said. She crossed her arms and turned away.

"Please. Please. _Please!_" Emma wrapped Ruby in a bear hug from behind. "I'll love you forever, but even more if you're paying because I left my wallet at home."

"Fine, just get off me," Ruby sighed.

Emma squealed in victory but was shushed with a hand clamped over her mouth.

"Keep quiet or Granny will find out. She's got ears like a wolf."

"Don't you mean like a bat or an owl or something?" Emma mumbled through Ruby's fingers.

"No." Ruby stood and pulled Emma to her feet. "And don't look her in the eye or she'll know we're up to something."

Emma laughed. "Right, because we're usually such angels."

* * *

**So . . . I know you have thoughts. Tell them to me. Right down there. Hit review ;D **


	7. Chapter 7

Emma bolted down the stairs, sliding into the counter because of her socked feet. Everything was happening in a blur this morning.

"What's the rush?" her mother exclaimed, when she reached over the bar top, knocking silverware and napkin dispensers out of place.

"I'm late!" was the only reply.

"On a Saturday?" her dad said, wheeling around to check the white clock face that hung against the brick accent wall on the far side of the living room.

Emma nodded and stuffed her history notes into her bag. "I'm dead meat," she said. "Coach called an emergency meeting last night for first thing this morning. I got the message when I was at Granny's last night. Ruby can't go because of work, so I'm her stand in and then I have to get to the school library."

"Well, what about breakfast?" her mother asked, holding up the spatula.

Emma was doing her best to ignore the sweet concoction of bananas and chocolate chips melting as the pancake batter became a fluffy cloud of breakfast perfection. "Can't," she moaned. "She'll kill me."

David chuckled. "This tutor of yours really has you on a short leash, huh?"

"Yeah, and it's going to strangle me soon if I don't get my butt to school."

"Well at least take a piece of fruit with you," Mary Margaret said.

"Seriously," Emma said, eyeing the bowl on the edge of the counter.

"Oh, Emma," her mother sighed. "It won't kill you to eat an apple every once and a while."

She shrugged. "No thanks." Then she slipped her shoes on, waved, and disappeared down the hall so fast she didn't even take the time to close the front door.

* * *

Apple red lips.

That was the reason she couldn't get over Regina Mills. Emma had figured it out. She was sleepy and grumpy and hungry, and completely not ready for this tutoring session because of the six different soccer plays that were now ricocheting around inside her head, but the second she walked into the library something clicked. And now she was awake.

Emma swallowed, her throat so thick she thought she might choke. Did Regina always wear that shade of lipstick? Or was it just today? Oh, gods. Think, Swan. _Think_. Be literate, you fool. Be articulate. Just say something. "Hey," she mumbled, pulling out a chair and plopping down with less grace than a three legged-dog. She scolded her sloppy limbs, but appreciated the fact her mouth was forming audible words. Good start. Now keep going. One word in front of the other, that's how conversation was made.

"Good morning, Ms. Swan." Regina folded her arms across her chest, her dark hair waving across her shoulders with a disapproving head shake. "I see we're going to make a habit of being tardy."

Emma quirked an eyebrow. "Soccer meeting. Just ended." Two word responses . Not great, but better than nothing.

"I didn't know the water girl was required to sit in on play meetings."

"She is if she doesn't want to be the water girl indefinitely." Full sentence. A full freaking sentence. Score one for Swan! Now, if she could just keep it up.

"Then wouldn't it be prudent to show up for your tutoring sessions on time?"

Emma opened her mouth, thought about Regina's comment, and then closed it again. She couldn't argue with that. "You're right. I'm sorry. I'll try to be here on time from here on in."

There was a blank look that passed over Regina's face. It clouded her features, slowly slipping into a confusion that she had to shake off.

"What's that face for?" Emma asked.

Regina shook her head again. "You just surprised me, that's all."

"What? I'm not as stubborn as you first thought?"

The smirk was back. "No, dear. You're not as blonde."

"Are insults part of your tutoring regime? Should I expect this on a daily basis?" Emma rested her head on her hand and waited.

"Only if you plan to show up every day. This will require real work Ms. Swan, not the carelessness you have so forth put into the course."

"I know," Emma said. It wasn't exactly a grumble, but her distaste for the subject definitely came through.

"I read your last essay. Mr. Gold went extremely easy on you."

"I failed," Emma deadpanned.

"You could have gotten worse," Regina argued.

"Worse than failing?"

"You can either fail by a little or a lot," Regina said. "There is a difference."

"You win, you lose. You pass, you fail. It's that easy."

"Everything isn't black and white, Ms. Swan. This isn't a soccer game that you can break down into a series of kicks and passes. This is important and requires dedication. The facts aren't just going to hit you in the face."

"I know that," Emma said.

Regina smirked. "Well, Ms. Swan, I think it's time to get to work."

They began by writing lines.

Forty-five minutes later Emma was still writing lines. Why was she writing lines? Dates and their corresponding historical relevance? Over and over and over.

"Do you always chew on your pencils?" Regina asked. Her hands were folded beneath her chin and she was staring with an intensity that made Emma nervous.

"What?" she said blankly, looking across the table. Her heart skipped a few beats, her breath hitched in her throat and she silently scolded herself for looking.

Regina turned her nose up. "It's a horrible habit. You're not a beaver."

"Sorry," Emma said, straightening up. She licked her lips and found herself swinging her feet instead. When her foot grazed Regina's leg she stopped. She had kicked her shoes off a while ago, since it appeared she was going to be stuck for the rest of the morning in the uncomfortable chairs that adorned the school library. Her socked feet ran against the silk of Regina's tights. "Sorry," she mumbled again.

"You like to make yourself at home," Regina said. It wasn't accusing or annoyed, but simply a statement.

"I think better when I'm relaxed."

"Does history stress you out?"

Emma shrugged. Right at this moment? Was she stressed? No, but her heart raced like a horse chasing the finish line. "Only when I have a test, or something else I haven't studied for," she said quickly, hoping the words ran together.

"Mmm hmm," Regina said, eyeing her. "Why is it that you're breathing so heavily?"

"I am not," Emma said suddenly, defensively.

"Yes, Ms. Swan, you are."

"How do you know?"

"Because I've been sitting across from you for over an hour."

"Well, don't watch me so closely."

"I have to; I'm supposed to be tutoring you."

"You're making me nervous," Emma said, snapping her lips together as soon as the words spilled between them.

Regina blanked, and stumbled over her next words. "I—I make you nervous?"

"Well, duh," Emma said, taking an overwhelming interest in her knuckles. She studied the lines there and noticed how her hands shook. She stuffed them under her legs and proceeded to stare at the words on her page. _The titanic sunk in 1912._

Oh, gosh, was she ever sinking. This session was just going down.

"That is not my intention," Regina said quietly, the usually snappy edge falling from her voice.

Emma nodded. "I know." It wasn't because she was sitting with the school's student body president, or because she was the mayor's daughter, or even because she was her tutor. It wasn't even the fact that Regina hated Ruby, her best friend, that made Emma nervous. It was because she had the most insane crush on this girl and she was close enough to touch her. That made Emma's heart pound and her brow sweat. That made her feel like a total reject.

"I think we've done enough for today," Regina said, pulling the paper away from Emma. "You've done well."

Emma scoffed. "I've written lines all morning. I haven't learned anything. I didn't even crack the textbook yet." Her disbelief was wiped away when Regina flipped the thick book open in front of her. She skimmed several pages before falling upon an unfamiliar chapter. A vivid image of the majestic ship filled its pages. **_Titanic, the unsinkable._**

"What year did the Titanic sink?" Regina asked.

"1912," Emma responded automatically. A crease formed between her eyes as she pulled the book away from Regina. Her eyes traced the pictures. Had she actually remembered something relevant to a history lesson she hadn't even been taught yet? She looked up at Regina, her mouth curving at the corner.

"Where was the ship's intended destination?"

"New York," Emma said.

"When was the wreckage discovered?"

"1985," Emma said, unable to understand the facts effortlessly falling from her mouth. "Wait. . . I don't ge—"

"And what Canadian city were most of the deceased laid to rest in?"

Emma opened her mouth, but faltered. She didn't know that one.

Regina smirked and with a long, delicate finger, tapped the textbook. "I'll expect that answer on Monday."

"How did you do that?" Emma asked, gaping at the girl across the table.

Regina packed her supplies. "I didn't do anything, Ms. Swan." She looked up from under her bangs and smiled. "This was all you."

"Emma," the blonde said.

Regina paused and tilted her head. "Excuse me?"

"Forget the Ms. Swan junk, okay?"

Regina pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow.

"Unless you want me to start calling you Ms. Mills," Emma offered quickly, raising her hands.

Regina wrinkled her nose and tightened her grip on her bag. "That's my mother," she said and then rolled her eyes. "Very well, Emma," she continued, testing out the name. Maybe it sounded funny to her. But Emma could get used to it. Heck, who was she kidding? Her heart fluttered like a bird first learning to fly. She loved it.

"See, that wasn't so bad," she said, jumping to her feet. Maybe they could walk out together. Maybe their shoulders would touch when they had to pass through the door. Maybe if she just stopped thinking about Regina for two seconds her heart would slow down.

Maybe she just wanted to kiss her.

Emma inhaled sharply and licked her lips. Maybe these fantasies were getting out of hand. "So, Monday then?" she said, by way of distraction.

Regina nodded and led the way out of the library and into the school's main forum. "I'll be here during lunch," she said. "And I'll expect a full report on the chapter, Ms. Swan." She stopped at the front door and turned, her smile stretching into her cheeks. "I mean Emma."

Then she was gone and Emma had to hold the door for support, recovering from the full swoon effect. She was in deep. Deep shit.


	8. Chapter 8

Tick. TICK. T…I…C…K. The clock was abhorrently slow today. Had time frozen just because she was so desperate for it to move? Was the clock broken? Emma's eyes snapped between the wall and the blackboard where Gold was still hand writing the note. Had the entire class missed the bell? She looked over. Ruby was taking meticulous notes from the chapter; the one Emma already had a good grasp on. Was the even possible? Emma smirked and underlined the date the Titanic sank in dark red ink. Yes it was. Thanks to her tutor, the slightly, possibly evil, but breathtakingly gorgeous make-Emma's-heart-beat-out-of-her-chest Regina Mills.

Emma rolled her shoulders and glanced at the clock again.

"Are you okay?" Ruby muttered without looking up. "Do you have to pee?"

"No," Emma said, throwing her blonde hair over her shoulder. She glared at Ruby.

"Then chill. You're giving me indigestion."

Emma stuck her tongue out, earning a snort from her best friend. Then she rested her head on her hand, and chewed her nails, peeking out of the corner of her eye. The clock hadn't moved. It was stuck. It had to be. Nothing else explained why this history class never seemed to end.

"Ms. Swan, while you so diligently stare at the clock and ignore me," Gold said suddenly. Emma looked over at him. "Would you care to tell the class what Canadian city the bodies of the deceased passengers were laid to rest in?"

Gold waited.

And so did Emma. She licked her lips. Swallowed. "Halifax."

Ruby immediately straightened in her seat, abandoning the usual slouch for a rigid, square-shouldered pose. It was pure shock that held her up. "Wow," she mouthed.

Gold nodded slowly and simply began writing the note again. And if she looked really close, Emma might have noticed the way his lip curled at the corner. A barely there grin.

Ruby nudged Emma with her shoulder. "Way to go, huh. Looks like all that studying is finally paying off."

"Yeah. I guess so," Emma said. She shrugged twice. "It was just one question." Despite that, she smiled stupidly, unable to contain the pure satisfaction that came from knowing the answer. She smiled so long that her cheeks started to ache.

"Maybe Regina isn't so bad," Ruby muttered under her breath. "I mean, on my list of people I hate in this world I'd definitely say she's been bumped from that top spot."

"Just because I'm less stupid when I'm around her."

Ruby mocked a hurtful expression. "No Em, of course not." She dropped the face. "Because she's gunna get you back on the team sooner."

"Yeah, yeah," Emma said. "We'll see how I do on Gold's next quiz first."

"So the whole crush thing—"

Emma hushed Ruby and glanced around quickly. Had anyone heard? What would they think?

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Geez, relax." She put her pen down and looked at Emma, straight on. "Have you gotten over it, I mean, you could barely focus when you thought about her before. Never mind actually having to work with her."

"It's still a work in progress," Emma said, noting that for once, she didn't mind having to work at something. Soccer came easy. Friends came easy. School had never been a huge priority, and putting major amounts of work into anything other than making herself a butt indentation on her couch for Saturday morning cartoons seemed pointless. Until Regina. Emma was willing to work on that relationship. To go slow. Chip away at the Queen Bee and see if there was anything there. She wanted to impress her. Passing history in the meantime was an added bonus.

"The 'getting over her' part?" Ruby asked.

"No," Emma snorted. "The focus." She turned to look at Ruby and shook her head. "I don't think I'm ever gunna get over her."

The bell rang and Emma almost jumped.

Ruby chuckled and said, "Go get your girl." That earned her another frustrated look from Emma, but as soon as she could, the blonde tore out of the room, dragging her bag behind her. She didn't even care that it wasn't zipped.

Emma wanted to be there first, ready and waiting at their table. She would not be late!

She inhaled rapidly as soon as she burst through the library doors. Their table was there and it was empty. Emma sauntered over to it, feeling victorious.

Regina Mills arrived exactly three minutes and fifty-seven seconds later. Not that Emma was counting.

"On time," Regina said as she sat down. "You're just full of surprises today."

"You have no idea," Emma said, flipping over her binder. She beamed proudly, gesturing to the highlighted papers in front of her. "Even my notes have notes today."

"I see that." Regina crossed her legs and folded her hands on the table. She was almost regal, Emma thought. She guessed that came from being the Mayor's kid and having to attend all those swanky dinners and yawn worthy public functions. Regina just had this sort of undefined grace that fueled the way she moved and the way she spoke.

Emma sighed internally. Regina freaking Mills was way out of her league. Like entire galaxies away.

"Fifteen minutes ladies. Just letting you know."

Emma turned to look over her shoulder and stared at the librarian with her brows pinched together. Her face became a mask of pure horror as she turned around. "What?"

Regina hadn't unpacked anything and still had her bag hooked over her shoulder. "Library closes early on Mondays, remember?" she said.

Emma nodded slowly, her mouth still open in silent protest. "We barely started," she finally said.

Regina shook her head. "What's gotten into you today," she wondered. "Don't tell me you were actually looking forward to studying."

Emma forced the scoff. "Yeah, no, of course not." _I was looking forward to spending time with you._ Yep, that thought was staying tucked securely inside her head for the next millennium. Regina was still staring, so Emma shrugged indifferently. "Can't blame me for wanting to pass. That is the whole point of this arrangement."

Regina nodded. "Of course."

Emma swallowed. Could Regina see right through her bullshit? "So," she said. "I guess we'll meet tomorrow?"

"Or you could come over this afternoon," Regina said. "And we'll finish off the rest of the next chapter. There's quite a bit of information to cover."

Emma almost choked on her laugh. Regina was kidding. Wasn't she? "You want me to come to your house?"

The smirk was back. Regina tilted her head. "Does that make you nervous?"

"Well, no, not exactly. But your mom scares that crap out of me, so maybe."

Regina's face fell, just enough for Emma to see the hurt in her eyes. She sighed. "She won't be there. She has meetings with the town council all day. I won't see her until late tonight. Maybe," she added quietly.

Emma couldn't say _no_ now, not after that. Even if she wanted to, which she didn't. She actually wanted to hug her or squeeze her hand but that wouldn't be cool. Not yet. Maybe not ever. But definitely not today. "Sure, okay. If you want me over at your house and everything."

"Well, we could go to _your _house," Regina offered as an alternative. "I'm sure your parents would appreciate actually seeing you study."

"Yep. Nope. Your place is good," Emma said.

Regina smirked. "I'm not afraid of your parents," she said.

"I am." Emma was deathly afraid of how they were going to react to this particular arrangement, more importantly, how they were going to react to her tutor. And the fact that she had a crush this size of Maine on that same tutor.

"Well then," Regina said. "I'll see you at three sharp."

Emma arrived to an open garage. Regina was hauling boxes into the main house through a swinging door.

"What's all this?" Emma asked, dropping her bag beside a sleek black car. The tires alone looked like they cost more than her parents' loft. She nodded at the box in Regina's arm.

"Propositions for the school dance," she said, driving her knee up to balance the box. It was awkward and heavy judging by the strain in Regina's voice.

Emma reached out. "Let me," she said. And for a brief flicker of a moment their arms tangled as Regina handed over the box. Emma's heart raced and she deliberately stared at the papers inside because if she looked up there would be very little space between her head and Regina's. "Probably easier without heels and a skirt anyway," she mumbled.

Regina tilted her head. "Thank you." She stepped away, giving Emma room to breathe. And enough space to faint if she was going too.

"So, these are for next semester?" Emma said. "Already?"

"There's a lot of planning that has to go into the dance." Regina led Emma through the door and into her kitchen. The Mayor's house was grand. Which was an understatement. It was also unnaturally clean and decorated in stark black and white contrasts. Emma was immediately worried about leaving greasy fingerprints behind. "You can just put that there," Regina continued, gesturing to the island.

Emma hefted the box up in her arms and dumped it on the counter with a dull thud. She exhaled loudly and dropped her hands to her waist. Regina was watching her. Curiously. Observantly. "You're gunna read all this?" Emma squeaked, clamming up under her gaze.

Regina laid her hands on the counter. "First priority is choosing the theme. Everything else comes together from there."

Emma nodded and stuffed her hands in her sweater pocket.

"You can sit," Regina said.

Emma did. On one of the black leather bar-stools.

"Would you like something to drink?"

Emma nodded again, suddenly speechless.

Regina pulled a pitcher of lemon water out of the fridge. "I can make you something if you're hungry."

"I'm good," Emma said. "Water is fine."

"Are you sure? If I recall correctly, you and Ms. Lucas seem to spend most of your day eating."

Emma laughed. "I guess we do. My mom will have dinner ready when I get home, though, so I probably shouldn't spoil it." She looked towards the dining room, craning her neck to see the end of the long, long (okay seriously long) oak table. "You and your mom eat in there often?"

"Sometimes. When she's home for dinner," Regina said. "I usually eat alone, though. Mother works late and when she gets home she's tired."

"Oh." Emma took the glass from Regina and sipped. It was cool and sour, but it gave Emma an excuse not to talk for a few minutes.

"I just have to move these upstairs," Regina said, nodding to the box. "I'll be right back if you want to get your stuff out."

Emma jumped up, swallowed quickly. "I'll help."

She grabbed the side of the box. Regina's hands shot out and covered hers. Emma's cheeks flamed, red and hot. She tossed her hair to cover the sides of her face.

"I was kind of hoping you'd say that." Regina bit her lip. "There's another box in the garage. Do you think you could grab it?"

"Of course," Emma said. "I left my bag in there anyway."

Regina gave her a quick smile. It twisted Emma's chest in all sort of directions. She kind of felt like skipping.

"My room's up the stairs on the right."

Emma nodded.

"Close the garage on your way in," Regina called after her. "The button's on the wall by the door."

Ten minutes, one insanely long staircase, and six wrong turns later Emma found Regina sitting on the floor of a classic, pristine bedroom. Black and white, with shades of deep purple mixed in. The only thing that stuck out was the collection of horse figurines on a shelf above Regina's bed. King size.

Emma padded across the carpet. "I assumed when you said on the right you meant like, immediate right. I didn't know there were forty doors up here. How do you not get lost?"

"I grew up here." Regina shrugged and looked up, reaching for the box in Emma's arms. There was a brief, grateful smile that flickered across her face. "Most of the rooms aren't used. Full of dusty old town junk."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure there's a portal to another realm up here. Like from Poltergeist or something. It's kind of creepy."

"And empty," Regina said. She stood up and shut her door. "I used to be terrified of staying here alone. When I was ten mother said I didn't need a babysitter anymore. I would come home after school, lock all the doors and sit in the front hall until I saw mother's headlights through the window."

Emma watched Regina cross the room and take a seat on the floor once more. She thought about the loft. The cozy, comfortable, reach out and touch her parents across the table loft. She never worried about being alone. She never wondered if her parents would be home to eat dinner with her. There was never uncomfortable silence or chilly, absent conversation. Her parents were the kind of people that still kissed her goodnight whether she was pouring over a book at ten o'clock or passed out drooling on her pillow. She knew because she always had to wipe her mom's lip gloss off her forehead in the morning. Her mom still made her hot chocolate at night and sprinkled cinnamon on top. Her dad would pull her off the couch and throw her over his shoulder, climbing the stairs with her when she fell asleep before the end of their horror movie marathons.

They texted her during the day just to see how she was.

They were just there. Plain and simple.

Did Regina have any of that?

Emma couldn't imagine Cora being warm. Telling Regina she loved her. Asking about her day. Standing there, watching Regina unpack the stacks of paper from the box, Emma could envision a younger version of Regina, alone in her room all day, being cared for by whatever babysitter Cora had found. It explained a lot about Regina. And it made Emma's heart ache. What this girl needed most in the world was a friend. A real friend.

"So, what changed?" Emma asked quietly. "About staying alone? You're not afraid anymore?"

Regina shook her head. "I grew up, learned that monsters weren't real."

Emma sat down next to Regina, with her back against the black comforter that hung over the edge of the bed. "So what've you got so far?" Emma asked. She rifled through the papers that were assembled between them, trying desperately to steer the conversation in a different direction. Regina's home life was obviously something that weighed heavy on her, and even if it was only for a few hours, Emma wanted Regina to be happy. Or at least distracted. "Masquerade? Eh, lame." Emma snorted at one of the suggestions. "Okay, Vegas night. Nah. That's totally overrated." She continued flipping and smiled her approval. She held up a slip of paper. "My votes on this one."

Regina took the paper from her. "A fairy-tale theme. Really? "

"Yeah. It'll be awesome."

"You totally don't strike me as a fairy-tale kind of girl."

"When Mary-Margaret and David first took me in as a foster kid they gave me this huge book filled with fairy-tales and every night they would read to me from it. . ." Emma trailed off and looked away awkwardly. Warm ,fuzzy family memories were exactly were exactly what she didn't want to end up talking about.

Regina looked at her, head tilted, smile tight. "You can talk about your parents around me, Emma. I'm not my mother."

"I know," Emma said quietly. "I never thought that way."

Regina sighed. "I get why you would. But it's a stupid feud. It doesn't even have anything to do with us. It was between my mom and Eva anyway."

"Yeah," Emma said. "Stupid."

"Is that why you've never really spoken to me before this? Because of the way my mother treats your parents?"

Emma's throat dried out. "N-no. It—"

"Or is it because of Ms. Lucas? She doesn't seem to like me very much."

"Ruby? No, but you don't exactly make that part easy on yourself," Emma sad.

"She's just one of the most infuriating people I know."

Emma raised her eyebrows. "Well, we're pretty much attached at the hip, so I must drive up the wall."

Regina shook her head slowly. "You I still haven't quite figured out. You're still a mystery to me."

"That's my name. Emma "Mystery" Swan."

Regina chuckled. "A dorky mystery."

"I can't help it. I guess I'm only smooth on the soccer field."

"You'd be fine in history too, if you just applied yourself. If you actually spent as much time studying as you do running drills you'd be in good shape. Speaking of which. I think it's time we actually cracked your textbook."

Emma looked at her phone. She had been here for over an hour already and had missed both of Ruby's texts. Gosh she was distracted.

One more distraction later, Emma was up to her eyeballs in the industrial revolution.

"Here," Regina said, reaching for Emma. She held out her hand. There was a hair elastic stretched over her fingers.

"What?"

"You keep blowing the hair out of your eyes."

Emma looked curiously at the elastic. Except for soccer which required a messy bun, Emma wore her hair down. It was too long and curly to ever look like she put any real effort into containing it, she had given that up a long time ago. Way back in freshman year.

"Oh, here. Let me," Regina said, rolling her eyes. She ran her fingers over the top of Emma's scalp, parting the hair.

Emma shivered. It shot a bolt of white hot lightning down her spine. But she liked it. With quick fingers, Regina arranged and weaved the hair, pulling it away from Emma's face.

"Thanks," Emma mumbled, feeling the top of her head. It had been plaited into a long braid.

"We should eliminate all distractions."

"Fat chance," Emma mumbled, then she blushed.

Regina had turned away, gathering books off her desk. "What was that?"

"Never mind," Emma said. "So, industrial revolution. Kids in the workforce. That's where we left off."

"Yes. And that's what your paper's going to be on next week, so I took the liberty of getting you these from the library. First rule of writing a paper. Make sure your sources are applicable to the topic."

Emma chuckled under her breath. "Yeah, makes sense."

Regina dropped onto the pillow that had been dragged off her bed and shuffled closer to Emma. Their knees touched now, but neither of them seemed to be bothered by it. She flipped open the first book and rolled her eyes. "Moby Dick, honestly. I can't believe you even used that."

They shared a quiet laugh and glanced at each other. It wasn't uncomfortable, but the feelings that stirred between them were sort of strange because neither knew exactly what to do with them. Emma wanted to run away as fast and as far as she could because the alternate involved her lunging and attacking Regina's face with her lips. She tore her gaze away and launched into a pointless series of questions about the industrial revolution, all of which, to Regina's credit, she received lengthy answers about.

An hour later, Regina laid across her bed, her arms folded under her chin as she watched Emma.

"I can't think when you stare at me like that," Emma said. She could see, never mind feel, the narrowed gaze that was pointed right at her forehead.

"You know your forehead crinkles when you're like that."

"Nope," Emma said, still trying to get dates cemented in her memory. Nothing was clicking tonight. Revolutions were boring. Unions and fair wage and blah, blah, _blah . . . _Would it look bad if she yawned?

"It doesn't happen very often," Regina continued. "Just when you're thinking hard."

"Yeah, cause I don't think all that hard all that often," Emma huffed, abandoning the history text she had propped up on her knees. She crossed her arms and shook her hair from her face, throwing the long braid and the few escaped strands over her shoulder in one fluid motion.

"I didn't mean it like that," Regina said. She rolled over so her head hung off the bed upside down. Emma's frown looked like a smile this way but her eyes were still sad.

"No, it's okay," Emma said. "I know I'm stupid. Even an idiot could get this."

Regina rolled over again and pulled her knees to her chest. "You're not stupid, Emma. That's not what I was implying at all."

"Sure, you weren't," Emma said. "I get it. That's why I'm here in the first place, cause I'm too stupid to pass Gold's class without a tutor."

"You just need some extra help," Regina said, doing her best to sound confident even when Emma couldn't. She slid off her bed again and onto the floor beside Emma. "All you need is some direction, someone who can teach you how to learn this stuff. That's what I'm here for. Once you have that then you'll do fine on your own."

"I have less than a month," Emma said. "What you're proposing might take a year."

Regina smirked. "You're so dramatic sometimes. Plus, you weren't doing half bad the other day. I am completely committed to helping you. I intend to see you pass, not just by a few percent, but well, with a clear understanding of the subject."

Emma watched the smirk fade into a sincere, almost caring smile, something she never thought she'd see on Regina's face, especially where she was concerned. It left her breathless.

"So I guess I'm not getting rid of you anytime soon," Emma joked. Only halfheartedly. To keep up appearances.

"Not until you can recite this stuff backwards."

"Yeah . . ." Emma sighed. She had hit the wall for tonight, and as much as she was content to just lounge around Regina's room all night. And she would have, despite her curfew and grounding, if the brunette asked her. It was getting late. Dinner would be ready, and her parents would be waiting. "My mom will be expecting me soon," Emma muttered, not knowing what else to say. Was she supposed to thank Regina for sounding so supportive?

"Well," Regina said. "If you're going to insist on keeping me a secret, you're going to have to come up with a decent and believable alibi for your whereabouts. And not Ms. Lucas since your mom talks to her grandmother on almost a daily basis. I am here to help you Emma, but you have to put the work in. No slacking."

"Wouldn't dream of it, your majesty."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Sarcasm is the first thing to go," she said.

Emma huffed a laugh. "Now that will definitely take longer than a month."

Regina shrugged. "We'll see." She gave the book back to Emma. "I've marked the chapter you have to cover for tomorrow. Read it and then read it again. If you still don't understand it, call me."

"Call you?" Emma said, eyebrow raised. "Like on the phone?"

"I suppose you could scream your uncertainties across Storybrooke but I doubt I'll hear you."

Emma paused, momentarily taken aback. Who'd have thought, Regina Mills, student body President, would stoop to Emma's level of sarcasm

"Are you sure?" Emma said, still contemplating the instructions uncertainly.

"That's what I'm here for," Regina said on a sigh. "Since you have to leave, we're going to have to find another way of doing this, at least for tonight while you figure out what exactly you're going to tell your parents about all this."

"Okay," Emma said.

Regina grabbed a pen from Emma's pencil case and scrawled her number across the back of Emma's hand. Emma stilled. Regina's hand wrapped around hers while she wrote. It was soft and warm and Emma felt the red heat that was quickly spreading up her neck and across her cheeks like fire on dry timber.

"Now go," Regina said, looking over her shoulder at her alarm clock. "My mother will be home soon as well and I'd prefer not to have to explain your presence."

"Looks like you need to come up with an alibi too."

"No, I intend to tell my mother the truth," Regina said, walking Emma downstairs to the door. She smiled, almost shyly. "Just not tonight. She doesn't like when I have strangers over without telling her."

"Strangers? Regina we've been in the same class since first grade." Regina's smile trimmed off and Emma nodded her understanding. "You mean she doesn't want people she doesn't approve of at your house."

"What she thinks about you is indifferent to me. But I do have to respect her wishes, so yes, until I request permission it would be best if she didn't know you were spending afternoons here."

"Afternoons?"

"Yes. I'd much rather study here if you're comfortable with it."

Emma put her hand on the door knob. It was cold. She must be burning up. "I'd like that."

"I'm glad," Regina said, another sincere smile spreading across her face. Emma caught something there as she opened the door. Loneliness? Had this been the first time Regina had a maybe, kinda, sorta-friend over? Someone she wasn't greeting with fake pleasantries and pointless small talk? "Good night, Emma."

Emma walked out onto the porch, shouldering her bag. Her stomach growled.

Regina leaned against the door frame and chuckled. "Tomorrow I'll make you a snack."

Emma bit her lip. Embarrassed. But man did she love this girl. This Regina. The real one tucked under all that fake crap. "Thanks for everything," she said.

And the whole way home she felt the back of her hand tingle where Regina's number was scrawled. For two blocks she debated about ever washing her hand again, until she got home and tried to stick her finger in the cake batter. Then she got the spiel on germs and had to sing happy birthday while lathering before her mom would let her near the kitchen table. Yeah, sometimes they still thought she was four. Probably because she still ate with her hands. She tried telling them about Regina and the tutoring at her house three times, but each time she chickened out and stuffed another taco in her face.

It could wait another day. What was the point in bursting her happy little bubble. Right now things were kinda perfect and she wanted to keep them that way. Regina was her secret for now.

Her amazing, misunderstood, beautiful little secret.

* * *

**And . . . so . . . this one took a while. Apologies :) I had a so called "writers block" which arrived in the form of way to much work and not enough time with my laptop. Sometimes I consider quitting and becoming a homeless person who just sits at McDonalds and steals ketchup packages and Wifi. I'm pretty sure my life would be complete as long as I could write. But alas, I can't stop buying things so I need a job. Anyways. I hope you liked this chapter. I finally have a direction for this fic . . . and it's called ANGST! But no, seriously. It's gunna be good.**

**So thanks for reading. The favorites. Following. Living. Breathing. You are the BEST. ACTUALLY. LITERALLY. The BEST. SERIOUSLY. I mean it. Reviews are welcomed with open arms and highly appreciated. I love feedback and suggestions for things you'd like to see worked into the story.**

**Oh, and if by chance you are some highly creative person with lots of time on your hands or know someone equally as awesome, I'm looking for someone to make a cover-art for this story. Message me if your interested. :D **

**Muah! And goodnight. 3**


	9. Chapter 9

The day had barely begun. Emma had no idea why she was at the diner this early, except for the insanely annoying breakfast cravings that woke her up before the sun was even over the horizon. Nobody made pancakes like Granny. In fact, nobody made anything like Granny. Having Ruby as a best friend definitely had its perks. Free breakfast being one of them.

"What's that?" Ruby asked. She was nursing a yogurt parfait. She dropped it on the table with a clank and pointed at the faded numbers on the back of Emma's hand.

Emma greedily swallowed a mouthful of blueberry's and syrup. "Regina put in there."

"You got her number?" Ruby's eyes hit her forehead. "For real?"

"For school stuff," Emma groaned. "It's not a big deal."

"Alright, then why is your face so red?"

Emma scowled and catapulted a slice of pancake across the table using her fork.

Ruby threw her arms up to deflect the shot. "Hey, I'm just kidding, Em. Geez. You know Granny's rule. Food stays on the plate."

"Unless it's in your hair."

"You didn't," Ruby said, her voice low as her hands threaded through the perfectly straightened locks. "I'll kill you. This took me an hour."

"I know, that's why I aimed high." Emma glanced at the light that hung between them. A square piece of pancake was slipping down the side of the fixture, leaving a gooey syrup trail behind it.

Ruby followed the direction of Emma's stare. "Oh, gross. You know she's gunna make me clean that."

"Ruby Emilia Lucas!"

"I know. I know!" Ruby snapped, getting up and stalking behind the counter for a wash cloth. Emma snickered into her hot chocolate until she returned.

"Hey, remember that time Granny made you stay and wash dishes with me," Ruby said, climbing onto the booth seat to reach the light. "And the time you had to hand out flyers out front for eating the donuts out of the display case? You want this to be one of those times."

Emma stopped laughing.

Ruby finished wiping off the light and plopped into her seat, legs crossed, lips pouted. "That's what I thought. And for the record, I don't care if Regina makes you write your study notes in your own blood. As long as she gets you back on the team she can tattoo the answers across your forehead."

"That's a bit extreme Ruby, but on the topic of tattoos . . ." Emma let the sentence trail. A cool breeze had swept through the diner. Refreshing and welcomed on this warm morning until it chilled her bones like a violent icy blast.

Cora Mills marched through the door, and halted by the counter, slamming her hand on the bell beside the register. Granny was right there. Already waiting. "May I help you?" she said, teeth clenched.

"Large coffee, black," the mayor said. She did her customary glance around the diner, lips turned up in distaste, before looking back at Granny. "Double cupped."

"Black like your heart," Emma whispered into her mug.

Ruby narrowed her eyes and muttered, "Major witch. I'm telling you." She tilted her head in the direction of the cash register. "Why does she even come in here?"

Emma shrugged. Turned as she heard Granny's voice again.

"Will that be all, Madame Mayor?" Granny's smile was anything but polite. Pointed. Loathing even.

"Yes. Yes. Hurry up."

Cash was exchange for coffee and a collective sigh of relief passed around the room when the door swung shut again.

"Holy! Is it just me, or does the hair on the back of your neck stand up when she comes in here?" Emma asked, rubbing her elbows.

Ruby didn't respond. She was too busy glaring at the Mayor through the window blinds. "Our service usually puts a smile on people's faces. She looks more pissed off now than when she came in."

"It's just the stick up her butt. Probably gets uncomfortable walking in those heels."

Ruby sat back against the booth and shook her head. "I don't know how you deal, Em. I know it's for soccer and everything, but still."

"What?" Emma swallowed another heaping mouthful of pancake. Now that Cora was gone her appetite had returned with a vengeance. "With Regina."

"Yeah, Satan spawn number two." Ruby waved her hand. "Don't get me wrong. She's teaching you boring ass history facts and for that I'm forever grateful, but honestly, I would have bailed by now. Icy death glares and chronic bitch face make for sucky afternoons."

Emma swallowed. "She's not really like that, you know. When it's just her. No expectations." Her voice was low and small. "Regina's . . ." Emma searched for the right word. "She's just a different person."

Ruby looked doubtful. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, Em. Just watch yourself. Cora hates you by association, so you won't find any handouts there. If Regina's anything like her mother, and I think she is, I wouldn't be surprised if she started teaching you ass-backwards information just to see you flunk."

"But she hasn't," Emma said. "And she won't. She makes me do the work. Shows me how to do it properly, so I understand how to learn this stuff."

"It just seems like a lot of effort on her part for a person she probably doesn't really like. No offense."

"Um, offended, but I get it. With the history and everything."

"Yeah your two-timing grandfather set you up well."

Emma shrugged. "I guess you can't help who you love in the end," she said, swirling the last of the hot chocolate at the bottom of her mug.

"But you also can't love the people you hate. C'mon," Ruby said, standing and dragging her bag out of the booth. "We're gunna be late."

Emma scoffed. "For what? It's not even seven thirty yet."

Ruby tugged on Emma's arm, wrenching her fork out of her hand. "Coach wants us in early. He's got big news."

Emma held her mug with her other hand, leaning away from Ruby's long grabby arms. "Last time he said that we were taking a team photo and I showed up in my sweats."

"So, you look cute in sweats," Ruby said exasperatedly. "Now give me the mug. We have to go."

"That's not how I want to be remembered. This is our last team photo ever."

Ruby frowned and stopped yanking on Emma. "You're right. That's kind of depressing."

Emma nodded, because she was right and carefully piled her dishes neatly on the table. "Anyway, I have to stop back at home. Forgot my history book on my bed." She slid out of the booth.

"All that late night reading, huh?"

"No," Emma said. "I was just trying to change the light above my bed and I was like an inch too short."

Ruby snorted and hit the bell by the cash register twice. When Granny popped her head out of the kitchen they both waved and the left the diner.

Ruby stopped on the street corner. "I guess I'll see you a t school then."

Emma nodded. "I'll be like five minutes late, kay? Coach can't even complain because it's my history book."

"He'll still complain, but whatever. I'll save you a seat."

"Yeah. Thanks."

When Emma got home her parents were already gone. Her mother had to be at the high school early to guide and counsel and her dad worked days at Storybrooke's one and only animal shelter, taking in strays and finding them new homes. They liked to leave together, which meant she now had the place to herself. That usually entailed raiding the cupboards for cheese flavoured junk food and watching movies while hanging upside down off the couch. Ruby was also usually her accomplice on these rare occasions, but right now Emma was on a mission. She had a textbook to locate and seven pages of a chapter on the rights of women in the nineteen-twenties to finish.

The light above her bed had burnt out early last night and instead of changing it like a normal person she attempted to study by the light of her cell phone, which was fine, except for the fact the hazy blue glow made her tired, and eventually the battery died.

So, needless to say, laziness had won out and now she was under the gun to get to school, finish the chapter, make detailed notes on the chapter, and explain said notes to Regina. Plus all the other school related junk that she usually did when she wasn't obsessing over history and Regina Mills. If she made it to the soccer meeting, that was a bonus, but since she only had six minutes before first bell that didn't seem too promising.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, momentarily distracting her. It was Ruby. She knew it was Ruby because it kept buzzing. She pulled it out to find seven text messages.

**BIG NEWS.**

The last one had her intrigued.

Her phone buzzed again.

**GET YOUR BUTT TO SCHOOL. NOW!**

Emma grabbed her book from the middle of her bed, tucked it into her bag and hurled herself back down the stairs and out of the loft as fast as she could, barely remembering to lock the door on her way to school.

"Emma," Ruby said, grabbing her by the shoulders and attempting to shake some sense into her. For some reason her best friend was missing the gravity of the situation. Ruby didn't want to blame it on the colour of her roots, but honestly, sometimes Emma had blonde moments. "There's gunna be scouts there. Do you know what that means!"

Emma dislodged herself from Ruby's squid-grip and turned to unload her English binder from her bag. "At a practice? Are you sure?"

"Dead sure. And we're gunna scrimmage." Her voice was suddenly two octaves higher as she danced from foot to foot. "Coach said he'll let you play since it's not a technical game. Aren't you psyched?"

Emma bit her lip. She turned to face Ruby who had stopped dancing, head tilted. "Regina's gunna kill me," she said. "If I bail on our study session."

"No she won't. Just don't let her find out _why_ you have to bail."

Emma ground her teeth together. Could she get away with it? Should she already feel this guilty about bailing? She didn't feel this bad when she used her study excuse to play pool at the Rabbit Hole when she knew she was grounded.

Ruby sighed impatiently and clapped her hands together. Demanding attention. "Priorities, Em. Focus. Missing one session isn't going to kill you. Just hit the books when you get home tonight." She reached out and squeezed Emma's hand. "This could be it. The big break. You know colleges are starting to look."

"I know," Emma groaned. "But this is such bad timing."

"No, actually, it's perfect. You've been cooped up on the bench for over a week and I know you're itching to get back on the field. Plus you know how we all play, so this should be a cake-walk for you."

Emma smirked and closed her locker, her hand resting against the red metal door. "I have to do this." She reached for the resolve in the pit of her stomach, mentally shoving the guilt to the back of her mind. She could spaz about the ramifications later. Right now she had to get on that field.

"You do."

"It's what I've been practicing for."

"Yep."

"So, she'll understand," Emma reasoned. "If I just tell her why—"

"Nope," Ruby said, cutting her off with a dramatic head shake. "This is Regina Mills we're talking about. The girl who threatened to have the team cancelled if I looked at her the wrong way again."

Emma fell back against her locker. "So what do I tell her?"

"Anything but the truth, Em. You lie. Something sappy usually works. Whatever you do, keep soccer out of it."

"Fine." Emma looked over her shoulder, in the direction of the Language-Arts hall. That's where Regina's office was. She swallowed and shook her head. "I'll tell her after next period."

"Emma," Ruby protested. "Procrastination is why you're in this mess in the first place."

"Don't worry. I'll get out of studying, Rubes. Seriously. I just don't want to be late for Bio. Now come on, we get to cut open frogs today. So much cooler than earthworms."

Ruby grimaced, pulling her frown back as far as it would go. "That's exactly how I want to spend the rest of my day. Smelling like formaldehyde."

"C'mon, you love the smell of congealing pig brains before lunch."

Ruby's eyes narrowed. "If I throw up on you again I'm not apologizing."

Emma took her by the arm. "I bet August and Graham will fight over who gets to dissect the intestines."

"Of course they will. The congealing pig brains are smarter than they are."

"Heard that, Rubes!" a voice called.

Emma turned to see August hurling a half-eaten donut at them. She squealed and pulled Ruby into the bio lab, taking seats at their favourite table. The one with inappropriate words and hand gestures carved into the wood. The most prominent letters spelling out the words **FUCK SKOOL**.

"Home sweet home," Graham said, sitting back in his chair and putting his feet on the table. "I'm gunna miss this place next year."

"I'm gunna miss you roasting gummy bears over the Bunsen burners," Ruby said. She smiled at the memories. "And making those flaming gas bubbles. Those were cool."

August laughed. "I remember that. Graham burnt his eyebrows off." He slammed the table with his fist because he was shaking so hard. He wheezed and clutched a stitch in his side. "It literally took two months for them to grow back."

"It was okay," Ruby assured Graham, trying her best not to giggle at the look of horror on his face. "That was back when you had a unibrow anyway."

Graham sighed. "Yeah. The good old days."

"What are you gunna miss, Em? When we're finally done here."

Emma turned to Ruby and offered her a half smile. She would miss her friends obviously, but it's not like they wouldn't stay in touch. Ruby was practically her twin separated at birth and Graham and August were the brothers she never wanted to have. She would miss easy days lounging on the soccer field and the cafeteria conversations that always seemed to end in a turbulent food fight. But those things would be replaced by other things she would love. She wouldn't really lose them. They would just change. The panic that gripped the center of her chest was for a completely different reason. For some reason she felt like the things she would miss most were things she was just discovering now. And with that, the last four years felt like a complete and utter waist.

In the hollow space that now beat beside her heart she knew she would miss Regina Mills. And she was only getting to know her. Emma's biggest fear was not knowing where the rest of this year was going to take them and for the first time since Gold paired them up, Emma was completely thrilled by the fact she was failing history. She just wished she had thought of it sooner.

Class ended thirty minutes early because someone decided to hook their frog up to the air pump that was used to inflate the anatomy models, and there were now intestines hanging from the ceiling, but Emma had managed to properly identify the innards of a half-frozen amphibian without the help of a textbook and Ruby managed not to vomit, so the class wasted completed wasted.

"That's the second time I've almost had gunk fall in my hair today," Ruby said, swiping a finger under her eye. Ruby had mastered the art of make-up touch ups in the tiny mirror she had taped to the inside of her locker. "I swear, if August throws even one pudding cup today I'll drown him in the well out back." She turned. "Emma. Are you even listening to me?"

The blonde turned. "Yeah, I was. I am." She saw the light turn on in the office down the hall and started to ease away. "I gotta go, Rubes. Save me a seat at lunch, huh? I'll be down in two minutes." Ruby nodded but Emma was already gone. She jogged down the hall, halting just before the door. Took two deep breathes before she knocked. She felt stupid standing in the hall when the door was open. Hadn't she sat with Regina in her bedroom already? Surely the student parliament office shouldn't be any more intimidating.

But it was. Maybe because here, the Regina she was just starting to discover, was tucked away under layers. Student parliament president. Mayor's daughter. Honor roll student. There was a long list of commendations that came before being a simple history tutor for a girl that didn't quite get it. The relationship shouldn't have meant as much to Emma as it did.

But boy, did it ever.

The brunette looked up. Emma thought she looked surprised, but Regina smiled at her none the less. "Emma," she said, half questioning, half inviting her in.

Emma smiled, tight lipped, and took a small step forward, adjusting the straps on her shoulders aimlessly. Her stomach was rolling around in a drunken ball inside her gut. "So, gotta bail on tonight's study session." She looked at her shoes; kicked guiltily at a scuff on the floor. "Some family stuff came up, but we're still on for tomorrow, right?" Her head snapped up. "I swear I'll read everything twice so I don't fall behind."

Regina looked a little disappointed. She wrung her hands anxiously when she felt that way, which Emma had noticed, was mainly when she talked about her mother. Or being alone. Or . . .

"Of course. I hope everything's okay," Regina said. Her smile was warm and inviting, maybe saying that she was there in case Emma wanted to talk about it.

Emma licked her lips, surprised that the lie made her throat dry. Why hadn't she? This was dumb. Now she just made a thing out of something that didn't have to be a thing. "It will be," she croaked. She needed to get out of there. "I'll see you tomorrow, kay?"

Regina nodded. "Definitely."

That did her in. That little grin. With that Emma turned and left, afraid that the slap-silly smile that she couldn't wipe off her face would freak Regina out. _Definitely. _Regina definitely wanted to see her tomorrow. To help her. The thought made Emma ridiculously happy. Happy enough to forget about having to lie. She walked into the cafeteria, oblivious to the noise and commotion. Everything inside her head was warm and fuzzy and sounded like birds chirping sweetly. Cliché. But she didn't mind.

Ruby flagged her down from across the room and Emma drifted towards her, still trying to get the sideways smirk off her face.

It wasn't until August dropped a huge glass of something green and lumpy in front of her that she actually stopped smiling. Emma threw the back of her hand against her mouth, halting her gag reflex.

"Drink up Swan."

"What is that?" Emma mumbled. She fell into a chair. "It looks like swamp water."

Ruby leaned over the glass, examining it with careful expertise. "It's either the frog guts off the ceiling in the bio lab or it's something scrapped off the wall in the boys bathroom."

"Ugh," Emma groaned. "Get it away from me."

"It's a protein shake," Graham said, pulling out a chair. "My own recipe. Rubes said you've got a scout coming to see you today, Swan, so you better be on top of things."

"I don't even want to know what you put inside this." Emma wrapped her hand around the glass and gave it a nudge. The liquid inside moved as one giant glob. "I can't drink this. It'll wrap around my intestines and strangle me."

"It's only some kale and flaxseed and a little bit of spinach. You'll need your energy. You'll have to hustle the whole time to make an impression."

"I need energy, Graham," Emma agreed, sort of touched by the gesture, but mostly nauseated. "Not a reason to wear adult diapers onto the field."

Ruby signaled her agreement. "Speaking of which, where exactly did you find kale and spinach in the last twenty minutes? Do you have a secret vegetable patch I don't know about growing in your locker?"

Graham looked at August, who shrugged and said, "No. But the lunch lady knows the guy who owns the muffin shop and—"

"Oh, the muffin man?" Ruby said. "You know the muffin man?"

"Duh," August said. "Who doesn't?"

"I don't." Graham looked around at them.

Emma quirked an eyebrow. "The one who works on Drury Lane." She watched Graham for any sign of recognition. "Ring a bell?"

"Nope."

"Best muffins ever," August said. "But anyway, _he_ knows this organic vegetable famer on the edge of town who agreed to supply the cafeteria's produce at a reduced rate, so now the lunch lady has all this organic kale and spinach and other crap we hate to eat. She said I could take the entire skid if I wanted it."

Emma held her breath. The stench was starting to get to her.

Graham leaned across the table and pushed the glass towards her. "You drink this, Emma, and all your dreams will come true."

Ruby grabbed the glass off the table and dumped it in the trash bin next to them. "You drink that, Emma, and you'll be spending a week on the floor of your bathroom. Now let's go. Class is going to start and we still haven't ironed out any of the plays for this afternoon. Thanks for the help boys and next time I accept a drink from you will be never."

"We were just trying to help," Graham yelled after them. "I'm coming to the practice tonight."

"Fine," Ruby shouted back. "Just make sure you don't block the scouts view with your oversized head."

"Well at least my ego doesn't need hair extensions to cover it. Better make sure you don't trip over them when you run."

"You better make sure you don't trip over your brain," Ruby bellowed back. "I think you've lost it."

"Whatever you say, Lucas. We'll see how you do on the field."

"You two are the most dysfunctional non-couple I've ever known," Emma muttered once they had reached the stairwell. "Are you sure you don't like-like him?"

Ruby huffed. "I like Graham as much as I like sniffing my math textbook, so, no. Plus I always kind of thought you might have a thing for him."

Emma threw her a look.

"I know. I know," Ruby huffed. "Over Regina's dead body, right?"

Emma nodded proudly. "Basically."

"That's creepy and weird and really annoying because I hate her, but kind of sweet, Em." Ruby twisted her lips. "But she's making you soft. And once we're on the field I'm gunna walk all over you, so you better bring your A game, Swan. Only the best of the best make it to the net."

Emma laughed and chased Ruby down the hall. "Then I'll save you a seat, Lucas."

Ruby barked. "In your dreams!"

* * *

**So, basically I updated twice in a week. Pats on the back for me. :D**

**Not so much Swan Queen in this one but I don't want Emma to capitalize all her time with Regina yet because it's semi-stalkerish, plus I love best friend Ruby and the two sidekicks. Setting up for a mini-angst chapter, but there will be smooth sailing ahead. All part of a great plot device I like to call CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!**

**Score one for frog guts on the ceiling. This actually happened in my bio class. I needed a shower after. Not fun. **

**So, as always, tell me what you think. How you feel. If there's anything you want to see happen. And continue reading and reviewing. Much thanks. You guys are awesome. 3**


	10. Chapter 10

Emma Swan was drenched in her own sweat. The smell of this morning's deodorant wearing off had never been so sweet. She threw her hands up, watching the ball slip through the goalie's gloved hands. It made an entrance in the top right corner, bouncing hard off the post and shot to the center of the net. And there it stayed. Tucked away in a pocket of threaded white nylon.

The sun beat down, hot and blinding in all its glory. Emma turned her face up. This was the moment dreams were made of. A crushing blow came from her right side. A swish of brunette and a cheeky red smile. Ruby clung to her waist, her long arms creating a vice.

"You did it! You won! Did you see the look on their faces?"

Emma was still reeling. She spun, slowed by Ruby's extra weight. Smiles and nods were being exchanged on the bench. Men in tight shirts with clip boards and ball-caps stamped with university logos shook hands. Red and white uniforms surrounded her, clapping congratulatory hands against her shoulder. She was in shock. She was high above it all. Nothing would eclipse this moment.

The moment she was about to be signed.

Her coach made a sweeping gesture with his arm, beckoning Emma to the stands. He wore the smile on his face proudly, like a father watching his child ride a bike for the first time, or pull their first fish from the water, or walk the steps towards a diploma.

Emma was walking towards her future, or rather, Ruby was pushing her furiously from behind.

"Go, Emma. Go. _Go!_"

Emma shook her off with a hasty shrug of her shoulders, dropping the nerves that now tingled at the base of her spine. This was it. This was it.

She approached the bleachers. Some of the men had walked off, reconvening down the field. But there was one that stayed beside her coach. He was tall. Of the handsome variety, with his light tan and shaggy five o'clock shadow. The I-wake-up-this-pretty kind of guy Emma usually scoffed at. The kind of guy Graham aspired to be. But this guy wore dark black runners, and a sleek set of track pants. His fitted t-shirt had a faded black and white logo on the breast pocket. A growling dog. The letters on his hat stood out in dark thread: **B. U.**

Boston University.

She was going to hyperventilate.

Emma stopped just short of the first step onto the bleachers. Her cleats kicked up dust. Her fingers clenched her shirt so tightly she might be compelled to rip it off at any second. Boy was she nervous. She bit her bottom lip and squinted into the sun. "What's up coach?"

A hand fell against her shoulder, drawing her closer. Onto the first step. Right into the center of the action. "Emma, I'd like you to meet Damian Walsh. Head coach for the girls' soccer team at—"

Emma almost choked on her grin. "Yeah, Boston U, right?"

"The very same." The man smiled. Two rows of brilliant white glowed back at her. He put his clip board down and offered her his hand. "Emma, how would you like to be a Boston Terrier?"

* * *

"What'd he say, Em?" Ruby said, kicking off her cleats under the bench. She sat down to roll her socks over her shin pads. "You've barely spoken a word?"

Emma grabbed her sweatshirt off a hook, pulling it over her uniform. "He's definitely interested," she said, licking her lips. She was so excited she was shaking. "Wants to come down for our tournament and watch me play."

"Em!" Ruby shrieked. She bounded to her feet and threw her arms around Emma's neck. "That's amazing."

"Offers on the table," Emma continued. "Conditional based on marks, but he says that's just a formality. Coach told him I'd pull it off so he's not worried."

Ruby squeezed her once more, then let go, holding Emma by the shoulders at a distance. "See. I told you to come tonight. I deserve a best-friend-ever milkshake."

"Is that your way of saying I'm insanely proud of your talented feet?"

"Obviously," Ruby said. She grinned. "It's also my way of saying I'm starving. Let's go eat. Celebration burgers at Granny's."

"Deal." Ruby shoved her soccer gear in a duffle bag, slipped on a pair of tiny red shorts and pulled Emma out of the locker room, skipping and whistling the entire way to the parking lot.

A red motorcycle and a grey Jeep sat idle in the center of the lot, parked diagonal across two spots.

"They waited?" Emma said, watching Graham and August fight over radio stations.

"They were on the bench the whole time?" Ruby said, stringing her arm through Emma's. She was practically bouncing. "Didn't you hear them howling? I thought Graham was gunna tear a lung."

"I kinda zoned out. Helps me concentrate."

"Well, now you just have to throw that concentration back into history."

Emma nodded.

"You have to get back on the team before the tournament in order to qualify to play," Ruby said. "That's what Gold and your mom will tell you."

Emma narrowed her eyes. "Do you know how much it sucks having my mom be the guidance counselor?"

"Do you know how much it sucks having your best friends mom be the guidance counselor? I feel like she knows everything that goes on at school. I sit in her office and she just stares at her computer. It freaks me out." Ruby chuckled. "I don't know how you've managed to keep Regina a secret this long."

"It's not as if I'm lying. My parents just haven't come right out and directly asked me for a name, so I just haven't said anything."

"Well, if it's worked so far—"

"It has and if everything continues to go my way, and I have a feeling it might. I should be passing history with flying colours by the time the tournament comes around."

"Four weeks?"

"Heck yes, Rubes. I'm not letting anything stop me. You know I've wanted to get a scholarship to help pay for school. And academics is definitely not one of my strengths."

Ruby waved off the notion. "Those are the sissy scholarships anyway. Sports scholarships take brains and talent, so those nerds can stuff it."

Emma smiled.

Ruby returned it. "You know if you go to Boston U, we can be roomies, right?"

"Yeah, you think you want to stay that close to home? What about your lemurs?"

"I know," Ruby sighed. "Ugh. We're going to see lemurs. Someway. Somehow. But your right, I can't leave this place behind. Not totally. I want the experience, but I want to be able to come _home _on the weekends."

Emma felt tears behind her eyes. She was so happy already. Ruby choosing Boston U was just the icing on the cake.

"Plus I'm you're only streetwise friend. Someone has to look out for you."

"And yet I have a feeling I'll always be the designated driver—"

"SWAN! LUCAS! Move it! You're killing daylight."

Emma smirked at August, hanging out of the passenger window.

"Get out of my seat, Pinocchio." Ruby cried, her voice carrying across the lot. "I called shotgun."

"You said you wouldn't call me that!" August climbed out of the Jeep and straddled his bike. "I grew into my nose freshman year."

"You'll always be Pinocchio to me." Ruby climbed in beside Graham, tossing her bag in the back seat.

August strapped his helmet on. "And to think I was going to let you ride with me." He feigned hurt. "Get on, Swan."

Emma smirked. She loaded her bag in the back of Graham's Jeep and then climbed on the bike behind August. She was glad the lot was deserted. It meant her dad had already picked up her mom. They hated when they saw her on the back of August's bike.

But Emma loved it. The freedom. The speed. The helmet that smelt like sweaty armpit she could do without, but she shoved it on her head anyway. August kicked over on the starter and led the way towards Main Street. Emma hugged him tight. Breathed him in. Leather and cheap aftershave that he didn't really need yet.

She would miss this. She would miss him. If she chose to leave Storybrooke for good. In another life August could have been her brother. Boston was looking more and more like the next chapter of her life. Close enough to come home whenever she needed a burger from Granny's, or a ride on the back of August's bike, or even a cup of hot chocolate. Yeah. She could always come home.

* * *

"Pizza at August's?" Ruby said. She jumped off the stool she had been perched on, overlooking the pool hall.

Emma whirled around. "We just ate."

August scoffed. "Like two hours ago."

Emma put her pool cue down. "I can't guys. I have to get home."

"Swan, turning down pizza?" Graham said, leaning over the table to line up another shot. He jerked his hand and the cue made contact. The ball rolled straight into the corner pocket. Graham smirked. "You must have a date."

Emma snorted. "Yeah, with my history textbook."

"Seriously, Emma," Ruby begged. "Take the night off. You just found out your future is all but signed, sealed and delivered. You deserve a break. Besides it's still early. Come with us now and you can still be home by nine. Ten at the latest."

Emma looked around at her friends, disgusted at the lack of inhibition. "Ruby, don't puppy-dog me. Seriously. Stop it. You look like a fool."

"An adorable fool," Graham said.

Ruby crossed her arms. "What? You do it to me all the time, Em."

"Guys," she groaned.

Graham turned the small block of chalk over the end of his pool cue and walked the table until he stood beside Emma. He dropped a hand on her shoulder. "Priorities, Swan. There's a double pepperoni pizza calling your name. And if you come quietly I'll throw in a box of bear claws."

And the trap was set. Graham knew her too well.

"Fine," Emma growled. "I'm in."

* * *

Seven rounds of Dance Dance Revolution later, Emma was finally at home, rummaging through the cupboards for a bag of chips. Playing video games at August's always made her hungry. Even after the pizza.

She tucked a bag of Lays Ripple cut under her arm, kissed her parents goodnight, and then bounded up the stairs, debating about whether she was going to shower tonight or in the morning. She yawned and flopped down on her bed, crushing the chips under her arm. She settled in and closed her eyes. She was comfy. She might just sleep in her clothes.

With her shoes on. And her sunglasses tangled in her hair. Did she still smell like a locker room?

Who cares?

Then her phone rang. "Ruby," Emma groaned, reaching for the nightstand beside her bed. Honestly she had just seen her. She fumbled and held the phone up to her ear "Hey," she said.

"Emma."

Emma sat up. Stark straight on her bed. Seriously?

It was Regina.

"H—how'd you get my number?" Emma stuttered. Stunned. Confused. Was this a dream?

"Contrary to what you believe, we do have the same pool of friends."

"Oh, er, right," Emma said, forgetting that Regina and Graham once had a thing, way back in freshman year. She hadn't dated anyone since him. Not publically anyway.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," Emma said, still confused. Family thing. Right. "Yes, I mean, it's fine now."

"You didn't call me," Regina said, interrupting the fact that Emma was still musing over Regina's lack of dating. "I figured I'd hear from you since you said you had to cancel. Did you understand the chapter alright?"

"Pussch," Emma began, flipping back down on her bed. She dragged the potato chips out from beneath her comforter.

"You didn't even read it," Regina said flatly.

"Hey, hey," Emma protested. "I was getting to it, but Ruby said there was an unexpected practice scheduled and it was super important that I be there—"

"So there was no family thing?"

Emma bit her lip. She had the urge to vomit now. Stupid pizza and bear claws congealing in her gut. Why did she eat six of them? Why did she have no self-control when it came to baked goods? Maybe she shouldn't have tried to out-Macarena August. That kid was a dancing machine. Emma pushed the bag of chips onto the floor and held the back of her hand to her mouth. Deep breaths Swan. "Not exactly," she mumbled.

"You lied to me then." Regina let the accusation hang for a while, eating up the silence, each stroke of the clock piercing Emma a little deeper. Then she whispered, "Why?"

Emma launched into an explanation, the best one she could string together from the chaotic jumble of feelings and decisions that still ricocheted around inside her brain. She had been caught. And now she had to own up. "I knew you'd tell me it was a bad idea, but there was a scout there and I couldn't miss the opportunity."

"Emma," Regina began pointedly. She had let her ramble and plead excuses, but that's all they were to her. Emma could tell by the tone. Excuses. "I can't help you if you don't take this seriously," Regina finished.

"But—"

"I have all intentions of helping you when you're ready to help yourself."

"Well—"

"Goodbye, Ms. Swan."

Regina hung up and Emma stared at the phone like it might grow a mouth and start talking to her. So they were back to the Ms. Swan thing again. Emma tossed her phone to the side and stared at the history textbook that sat on her desk across the room. It was mocking her now. Laughing in a high pitched giggle that reminded her of Gold for some reason. They were all laughing at her now. She was the dummy.

For several long minutes, she contemplated cracking it open but found no desire to. It was easier, and harder in some ways, to focus on history when Regina was around, forcing her to keep her attention on the subject. Now all she could think about was how disappointed Regina had sounded and how angry she was that Regina didn't let her explain.

Well, she didn't need Regina's help anyway.

Not really.

She just needed to eliminate the distractions.

She could do it on her own. She would show her parents and Gold and the evil queen that she wasn't stupid. She would learn this stuff and get back on the team.

First thing she had to do was get rid of the guilty energy that was building up at the back of her throat. It reminded her of Regina. And that was a big distraction.

* * *

Emma stared at the red highlighter that marked up half her page. It wasn't something she wasn't used to seeing; it just felt different knowing she had actually put effort into studying. It was only a quiz, didn't count for much really, but in the scheme of things, everything counted. Each red mark was a strike against her. Emma tallied up the X's and her heart plummeted.

Most of the class had trickled out while Emma had been lost in thought. The soft thud of Gold's cane drew closer until his shadow spilled across her page.

"How's the tutoring coming, Ms. Swan?"

"Fine," Emma lied, stuffing the test into her bag.

"Ms. Mills tells me you haven't been to one session in over a week," Gold said. "That only leaves you a few to pull yourself together before we re-evaluate."

She stared at her feet.

"Emma," he said softly. She looked up at the rare use of her name. Gold used surnames on his students. He always had.

She stared at him and his usual cocky expression cracked into something sincere. "Give Regina a chance. I know she can seem a little intense sometimes but she will help you through this if you let her."

"Yeah, well, whatever," Emma muttered. She tossed her bag over her shoulder and slipped around Gold. "See you tomorrow, sir."

She went to the library. She didn't know why. Books weren't helping her. She sat at _their_ usual table and pouted. When her face started to ache, she ripped the quiz out of her bag, balled it up and chucked it against the wall of the library. Then she slammed her head on the table. It hurt a lot more than she was anticipating.

"I hear you can kill brain cells that way."

Emma straightened and whipped her head around.

Regina Mills stood behind her. Emma hadn't even heard her approach. She was sneaky like that.

"What are you doing here?" Emma asked. It sounded more pathetic than she meant it to.

"You haven't called me or come to see me," Regina said. "I thought you might need some help by now."

"Well you thought wrong!" Emma exaggerated the reply. She still didn't need help. She could do it.

"I can tell." Regina smirked at the balled up quiz.

Emma rolled her eyes. "I don't need your help."

"Of course you don't," Regina said, taking the seat opposite Emma.

"I'm serious. I'll just disappoint you again."

Regina simply nodded and flipped open Emma's book. "I think we'll start here," she said, pointing to a picture of an old Model-T Ford car. "That's what the quiz was on."

Emma sighed but nodded, turning her attention to the brunette, only to realize with a painful flip in her stomach that she missed her more than she was even missing the soccer field. That thought scared the crap out of her and filled her with most insane feelings. Desire. Lust. Hopeless infatuation. Fear laced horror. She thought she might explode.

It was a quiet affair, as far as studying went. Regina highlighted things Emma had missed in the text. She went over where Emma had gone wrong on the quiz. She also helped her work ahead so she was ready for Gold's class tomorrow. Emma could tell the session was winding down.

"Why did you care so much?" Regina asked quietly, just as Emma was putting her things away. "About what I thought?"

"I didn't want you to be disappointed. That's why I lied, because I didn't want you to think I was choosing soccer over this. That's not what last week was about."

"You should have trusted me," Regina said. "Enough to tell me the truth." She wasn't meeting Emma's eyes.

Was she as hurt as Emma had been? Maybe it was more about Regina herself, then it was about seeking her approval. Emma wanted Regina to like her, not because she was finally understanding history, but because Emma couldn't stay away from her. Couldn't stop thinking about her. Not for long. And if after this was all done, and there was nothing left between them, Emma would have no excuse to ever see or talk to Regina again. So she hadn't wanted to risk Regina getting mad at her.

But it had been worse.

Disappointment stung worse than anger. Empty eyes hurt more than cold ones.

"I did trust you," Emma insisted. "I still do. But I didn't think you'd understand."

"Maybe I would have," Regina said. "Soccer is important to you. That day was obviously important. You lied to me but what's worse is that you lied to yourself. You said you would do the chapters and you didn't. Now you're behind. You have to keep working, Emma. No matter what else happens." Regina closed her notebook. "But not right now. I want to show you something."

* * *

**Yay! AND . . . thanks for reading. Review. Please and thank you. It makes my day and inspires me to do nothing but think of Swan Queen all day which means more chapters for you. :D**


	11. Chapter 11

They took Regina's car. Firstly because Emma didn't have one, and even if she did, she had no idea where they were headed. She followed along as they passed Granny's and the toll bridge. She even knew the side road behind the cannery along the beach. But when Regina turned down a narrow dirt drive that was shrouded by thick walls of trees on both sides, Emma was lost. In a town like Storybrooke she thought that was impossible, but it seemed there were still unturned corners of this quiet town that she had yet to stumble upon. "Where are we?" she said.

Regina made a wide right turn and parked in front of a wooden fence post. She cut the ignition and said, "The stables."

"Oh," Emma replied.

They locked the car and Regina fumbled through her key ring for one that was worn and scratched. It looked ancient in a way, like it belonged to the front gates of an old stone castle instead of the modern dead bolt that was on the front door of the long boarding house.

Must be used a lot, Emma thought. She looked around, wide green fields and dirt paths zigzagged around them, opening up into a valley of sorts with trees bordered on all sides. It smelled of honeysuckle and the sea. When the wind blew she could feel the mist of the ocean caress her face and neck.

Peaceful.

That's what this place was, and Emma had the overwhelming urge to just sink down in the grass and stare at the clouds that ran lazily overhead.

But suddenly Regina was inside the door, holding it open for her and Emma had to shake of the dazed expression that was no doubt making her look dopey and unaware.

She followed Regina down a dim-lit path, small pens built on either side of them. There were wooden stools and buckets of feed on the ground. The air smelt strongly of hay, sweet and light, like summer. In the distance she heard a contented braying.

She cocked an eyebrow. There was a horse here.

Regina marched in the direction of sound, pulling a pair of tan leather gloves off a shelf as she went.

Emma raced to catch up with her. "I thought this place was abandoned. After that fire. Didn't it burn down?"

Regina nodded. "Mother has to put a certain amount of money into the town each year. Community projects that add value to the town as a whole," she explained, grabbing a bucket of feed from the floor. She handed it to Emma and nodded towards a back wall where a large sack of food sat. Wordlessly Emma followed her and waited while Regina topped up the bucket.

She finished and dusted her hands along her thighs. For the first time Emma noticed the long boots she wore over her jeans. Riding boots. Wait? Regina Mills in jeans? That had to be a first. And her hair was pulled back, braided over her shoulder. She hadn't noticed, not because she didn't look at Regina. Because she did. Too much maybe. But she still wasn't used to the sheer perfection of the girl beside her. Her beauty almost knocked Emma over, leaving her breathless and winded, desperate to be close to her. Just like now. She tilted her head and regarded Regina from beneath a stray lock of blonde hair. She looked really happy. Okay, maybe not happy exactly, but definitely at ease.

Comfortable. Like she was free to just be.

Regina stopped moving and it was then that Emma realized she was being watched curiously in return.

Her heart pounded in her throat. The hair on the back of her neck tingled. Not in panic, but pleasantly. She liked the way Regina was watching her, heavy-lidded, eye lashes batting, a bit of an arch to her left eyebrow. She really liked it. "So, uh, this was one of those projects then?" Emma said, breaking the silent moment.

Regina nodded. "Mother rebuilt the stables as part of one of those town-contribution commissions."

"Because she knew you liked to ride?" Emma assumed, judging by the fact Regina knew her way around the stable with ease.

There was a quirk of her lips as Regina took the feed bucket from Emma. When their hands touched, the metal handle passing between them, it was a long time before either of them really let go. The exchange was slow, longing for something more. At least on Emma's part.

But Regina didn't turn away. She just watched Emma.

"So you do ride," Emma whispered, not because the moment called for it, but because she was standing so close to Regina, that anything else in this moment, with the almost empty stables surrounded by the stretches of deserted forest all around them, felt like screaming.

"Since I was a little girl," Regina said, her voice equally as measured.

"So your mother," Emma pressed. "She rebuilt this place for you then."

"Not exactly," Regina said. The easy smile that had been pressed to her lips flattened. And with it Emma's heart. There was a familiar pain in Regina's expression. One that Emma could remember from early years in the foster system. There was a feeling reflected in the way Regina's eyes fell away from the light.

Disappointment.

"She commissioned it because she wanted the council's approval on the mining operation. She thought rebuilding something before proposing tunneling under half of Storybrooke and disturbing the wildlife populations would butter them up."

Emma bit her lip and sighed. The hurt that twisted Regina's features made her stomach squirm. Part of her wished she had never asked. Another part of her wanted to reach out, brush the loose hair behind her ears, touch her face, her lips, and tell her she understood. Emma understood what it felt like to be hurt by people that were supposed to love you. To her there was no worse feeling in the world. Having someone be that close and not really be there. A parent who was absent was just as bad in her books as the ones that gave their children up without a cause. Parents that abandoned their children on the sides of freeways instead of just leaving them at a hospital.

Her life was different now. Happier. She had found a home with David and Mary Margaret, something she remembered every time they kissed her goodnight, every time they laughed over dinner, each time they cheered her on from the sidelines of the soccer field.

They were present.

But Regina, she barely had Cora. She was a barely there parent.

And that's why Regina pushed people away, because it was easier than risking losing them. The hardest part about this situation was that Emma understood. The reality cut her deep. The similarities they shared. The way two people, with two completely different stories could harbour the exact same pain almost scared her. Because, even after all this time, it still left marks on Emma that no one could see, and if she was still working through those questions. Looking for answers to things that happened so long ago, things that shouldn't matter to her anymore, how long would Regina have to look before Cora realized that she did nothing but push her daughter away. Neglect her.

The realization that this might never happen made Emma's heart twist painfully. In the same moment it tightened her resolve: to be, if nothing else, a friend to Regina. "Why doesn't anyone else use this place?" Emma asked, moving to stand by Regina. They had shifted to a large bay window that overlooked the riding range behind the stables. There were pickets and jumps set up in intervals. There was a penned ring with barrels that stood on end. The tracks in the dirt told Emma it was well used, and yet, there was no one else here. The fact that most of the pens were empty told her that Regina was probably the only one who came here.

It was her sanctuary.

Regina cleared her throat. She had been contended with the silence for the last few minutes. To just sit on the window sill with Emma and watch the wind gust through the trees. Turning the forest into a dancing sea of green in the distance. "In one of the clauses on the contract mother had the council sign, it stipulated that the stables would revert back to city property. Basically it's privately owned now because my mother intends to eventually rip it down and use it for a land development project."

"Like what?"

Regina crossed her arms. Leaning against the window she shrugged. "Probably something stupid. Like a strip mall or warehouse."

Emma scoffed. "What the hell does Storybrooke need a strip mall for?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "To increase the town's economic prospects."

"You know a lot about this stuff, huh?" Emma said.

"Mother usually leaves her files out on the counter. I sometimes scan through them in the evenings when she's out. That way I have something to talk to her about when she comes home."

Emma froze. Opened her mouth. Closed it again. Think before you speak, Swan. But of course that never worked with her. She took a breath. Took a chance. "Doesn't she ask you about normal stuff? Like how your day was? Or what you learned at school? Or what kind of stupid things you got up during spare?" Emma's parents could literally see her whenever they wanted. Her mom was around school all day and her dad often took lunches with her in the guidance office. She saw them at least ten times, whether she wanted to or not, between getting to school and leaving. They knew exactly what went on in her day, and still, they asked. They asked how Ruby was. How August and Graham were making out with their science experiments. Reminded Emma not to ride August's bike without a helmet on. They even dropped hints about her cleaning up her incredibly messy locker. That's what parents did. They got nosy and involved. At least, that's what Emma always thought they should do.

Regina looked pointedly at the ground. "Mother has expectations. And she expects that she doesn't have to ask me those things."

"So you only ever talk about town things?" Emma continued. Her voice was light, not judgemental, she hoped, or accusing. She just wanted Regina to know that it was okay to talk about her mother. The way she felt about her. Regina had once said Emma could talk about her parents around her, and now, Emma wanted Regina to know that she could do the same. Even if it wasn't telling her sappy love stories, or how embarrassing they were, or about all the corny things they did as a family. The kinds of things Emma would talk about.

Regina could talk about the hard parts too. Emma would listen.

"Well, no," Regina said. "Not just town stuff."

"Then what?"

"Sometimes we talk about my future."

"Your future?"

"Like what school I will attend when this year finishes. What extra-curricular activities I'm working on to add to my applications."

"So your interests," Emma said. But Regina didn't exactly agree.

She shrugged. "If it's something that will help me get ahead, or into a really good school," she explained. "That doesn't necessarily make it an interest."

"So the tutoring thing?" Emma said, slowly putting Regina's thoughts together. "That's new. I've never heard that you tutored before. Was that your mother's idea?"

She nodded. Her smile was tight. "It was suggested on multiple occasions that knowing how to groom and ride a horse paled in comparison to something like tutoring or being student body president." Regina swallowed. "The thing about my mother is that she likes to be in control. She likes power and anything that will get her there. That's where she invests her time. If I'm not doing something to ascertain the same level of power . . ."

Regina trailed off. But Emma finished the thought in her head. _She doesn't have time for you._

"Do you ever think you're just too hard on yourself?"

"No."

"Well, from where I'm standing, you're pretty amazing. Any university would be lucky to have you. And if it helps, my mom always said universities like well-rounded individuals with diverse interests. So I think being able to ride a horse definitely counts."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. And I know what your mother thinks is important to you, and it should be, I mean, she's your mother. But there is a point where you have to start saying that this is what I love, this is what I want to do, and then you just do it."

"She definitely doesn't lend her approval easily," Regina agreed. "I've given up a lot in the last year because of her and preparing for university, but riding was one of the things I refused to let go of." Her face brightened a bit on that. "It's actually why I brought you here," she said.

Emma looked confused.

"You said you were worried that I would be disappointed in you, for choosing soccer over school. That's why you lied to me. But I wanted to bring you here. To the place I'd choose to be over anywhere else." She pulled Emma up, taking her by the hand. Regina led her further into the stables. Hand in hand. They stayed like that, much longer than necessary. "I wanted you to know that I get it. Sometimes, there are things that are just as important as school. I come here whenever I can because it's freedom. Just like soccer is for you. I just wanted you to know that I understand."

Emma stopped, pulling Regina to a halt. The girl turned and Emma gave her a genuine smile. Apparently today was a day of understanding. She didn't have to say anything, because in that moment they both felt it. She knew that much. Something different had settled between them. Something more. A bond. An acceptance. Mutual empathy. Something that couldn't be shared or explained to anyone but themselves. Something that was so pure and raw that it didn't require an explanation.

And dare she say it. Think it. Believe it. Friendship. As real and there as the bond between Emma and Ruby. This was a completely different kind of friendship, Emma knew that right away, but it was friendship none the less.

The corner of Regina's mouth lifted into a half-smile. She took Emma's hand again, turned on her heel, and marched them towards one of the pens in the far back corner of the building.

"What are we doing?" Emma asked.

"Do you want to ride?"

"A horse!"

"No there's a unicorn out back," Regina joked. "Of course a horse."

"Whoa. Uh-nuh. No way. I can't ride a horse." Regina flipped a long wooden latch and pulled Emma into the pen. The animal inside was enormous, like it could have literally sat on her head. It turned and huffed, swishing its tail. Emma blanched. "Holy shit."

"It's easy," Regina promised, patting the horse's back. "I'll show you."

Emma dug her heels into the ground. "No seriously, I'll probably break it. Ruby had this My Little Pony once and I dropped it in the garbage disposal at the diner."

Regina wheeled around, eyebrow raised.

"Accidently," Emma said. "I tripped."

Regina smirked. "Your point?"

"That was a dumb plastic toy and Ruby stopped talking to me for like a week. This thing is alive and obviously really important to you."

"This is Rocinante, Emma. And she _is_ very important to me because she was given to me by someone I loved very much. Now stop being a wimp. I'm trying to share her with you." She smiled and squeezed Emma's hand. "You'll like it."

"What if I fall?"

"You'll ride with me. I won't let you fall."

"You promise?"

"Promise."

* * *

"You can open your eyes now."

"They are." Emma could feel the wind rushing through her hair. It was similar to being on the back of August's bike, but a lot bumpier.

"Liar. Your face is buried in my hair."

"Cause it smells nice. What is this? Apples?"

"Shampoo. Now please open your eyes. It's okay. We're going slow."

"This is slow?" Emma shrieked.

"For a horse, yes."

Emma tightened her grip around Regina's waist. She lifted her head slightly, one eye peeking out over Regina's shoulder.

"Better," Regina praised. "You almost opened a whole eye."

"Hey, this is my first time on a horse, okay. Go easy on me. I feel like this thing is going to bolt and I'm going to go flying off."

Regina chuckled but disputed Emma's fears. "She won't do that."

"Unless you make her."

"I wouldn't do that."

"Why not? It'd probably be hilarious."

"Because then you wouldn't, pardon the pun, get back on the horse again. And it's kind of nice having someone here. It's usually just Rocinante and me. Sometimes it can get a little lonely."

Emma just squeezed her tight in response, taking advantage of the situation. She held on, and had no intentions of letting go anytime soon.

They rode around for what felt like hours. Regina steered the horse through obstacles, down paths, trotted slowly then raced the wind, and eventually Emma felt herself letting go. She laughed freely, hands still tight on Regina's waist, but she was no longer afraid.

When the sun had sunk beneath the tree line Regina directed them back towards the stables. They dismounted and boarded Rocinante. Before they left, Regina brushed the horse down, kissing her on the top of her nose and Emma watched in quiet contentment.

Regina was at home here.

"Thank you for bring me here," Emma said as they walked back to the car. It was a lazy walk, one that left them bumping arms and stealing glances at each other. "This place is really special to you. So thanks."

"Well, you're a special project."

"Yeah, like special needs."

Regina chuckled and nudged Emma's arm. "That's not what I meant and you know it."

They laughed until there was nothing to do but stare at each other. The spell was spun. Emma felt it. The hot desire to kiss Regina burned at the back of her throat. Then and there. In the lot. Beside the car. Just grab her face and kiss her into oblivion.

She licked her lips. Regina hadn't pulled away. Hadn't moved. Surely she felt it too.

Emma braced herself to lean in. Took a small step closer.

Then her phone rang. And rang. And rang. And kept on ringing. Because Emma was trapped in her fantasy until Regina whispered, "Are you gunna get that?"

* * *

**So . . . yeah. Reviews make the world go round. Or, at least, the plot bunnies in my brain. :D Thanks for reading. **


	12. Chapter 12

"Ah! My God. It's my parents." Emma wheeled around, searching for some unexplained sign. How had she gotten here? To this place. Right now. With Regina. And forgotten to text her parents? To cover her bases? She was still conditionally grounded. "Crap. Crap. _Crap_," she muttered. "What time is it?"

"After seven," Regina said simply. She sighed, somewhere between sympathy, and if Emma didn't know better, an I-told-you-so, kind of sound. Like maybe she should have explained this whole tutoring thing to her parent's way back when it first started. She should have told them about Regina.

"Crap," Emma said again. It was the only word that would come out of her mouth. The thoughts started coherently, but somewhere along the relay path to her mouth they got blasted by the alarm that was going off in her brain and disintegrated into a one syllable curse.

The phone in Emma's hand stopped ringing. The shrill echo faded and her heart rate slowed a little.

"You should have answered it. They'll only worry more now."

Emma's eyes went wide. "And said what exactly?" But the longer she stared at Regina, the more she knew she was right. Her heart rate sped up again, beating at the base of her throat.

"Come on," Regina said. "The least I can do is drive you home. You can call them from the car."

Regina pulled up along the curb and Emma groaned. It was garbage night. She stared at the black bin that sat just outside the car door. She had forgotten to take the garbage out; no, not forgotten, just missed it. Neglected to remember that she had a life other than Regina Mills.

Responsibilities.

Like calling her parents and emptying the dishwasher. Good thing they didn't have a dog, or another living, breathing creature that relied on her for sustenance. Emma was failing miserably right now.

"I'm sorry," Regina said. She didn't cut the ignition. The engine was still running. But she didn't push Emma out the door either.

"You didn't do anything," Emma said, head pressed against the window.

"I should have reminded you to call them. I saw you put your phone down on the bench in the stables. It just didn't register."

"Hey," Emma said, faking an optimistic smile. "I had to tell them sometime, right?"

Regina didn't say anything. She didn't even nod.

Emma blinked hard, and rubbed her eyes with the side of her hand. She took a deep breath, gathered up the resolve that had sunken to the depths of her stomach, her very empty and nervously writhing stomach, and grabbed her back pack from the floor. She propped the door and put a foot on the curb, then she turned to Regina. "Thanks for today. Even though I'm about to get blasted, I'd still do it all over again. It was fun."

This time Regina did nod. It was slow at first and then more eager, turning into an agreeable smile. "Yes, it was fun, wasn't it."

"I'll see you tomorrow," Emma said by way of parting. She closed the door and watched as Regina pulled away, swearing to high heavens that the girl was driving way below the speed limit just to postpone the moment they would both be out of sight from each other. At least, that's what Emma told herself as she marched up the stairs to the loft. It was the happy thought that sustained her as she dragged her hands along the red brick walls. Gripped the faded iron railings. Lingered. Anything to delay what was about to happen next. Each step on the metal stairs matched the dull thud of her heart. Lub dub. Lub dub. Was she sweating?

She reached the top of the stairs, and paused on the landing. Her hand fell to her stomach. She felt slightly nauseous and a little light headed. When she reached for the door knob it burned cold under her hand. Shocking.

This was it.

Emma walked inside and came face to face with two very angry, red-faced parents.

Mary Margaret was the first one to the punch. Literally. Emma felt like she had been punched in the gut.

"Where were you tonight?"

Then David joined in. "You know you're still grounded right? Unless we give you permission to be out late?"

Emma let the door swing shut behind her, just in time to fall against it. She didn't even care that the coat hook was digging into the back of her neck. Her head dropped. "I'm sorry, I know. I was studying and lost track of time."

"This whole time?" Her mom crossed her arms. Emma's chest tightened. It was the disappointed arms. Wait. Mary Margaret tilted her chin. It was the we-are-_very_-disappointed-in-you-young-lady look.

Emma swallowed, looked at her shoes. Her feet were twisting in odd directions. Stand still, she told herself. Stop fidgeting. "We kind of took a field trip."

"Where?" her dad asked, just short of demanding.

"To the old stables." The words were a quick peep, like something that would have escaped from a scared chicken.

"Those are owned by the city, Emma. That's trespassing," Mary Margaret scolded, in a voice that bordered somewhere along a whisper.

"Well, yeah. I guess. But I was with Regina, so technically I think its fine."

And the cat was out of the bag. Just like that. The horse was out of the starting gate. Was she out of the closet? No, not quite yet. But she had definitely just admitted to something here.

The next few words blurred together as Emma was blasted by a series of gasps and groans and sheer cries of disbelief.

"Regina Mills? The Mayor's daughter," Mary Margaret said. It was the sixth or seventh time now.

Emma shrugged. Who else would it be? How many Regina's lived in Storybrooke?

"She's your tutor?" David said. And there went his arms. Across the chest.

Emma threw her hands up. If they wanted to be mad at her, then fine. She had broken curfew since she was grounded. She hadn't texted. She was still technically flunking history. She didn't take the garbage out. There was a list as long as her arm of reasons her parents could stare disapprovingly at her, but in that moment, Emma rallied. A fiery burn in the center of her chest made her say no. She wasn't going to let them berate her for spending time with Regina. There was nothing wrong with Regina. And there was nothing wrong with Emma being with her. Tonight. After school. Ever.

They could be mad. They could be furious even. But it wouldn't be over that, because Regina had never done anything to deserve that. She wasn't the one that made their lives hell. And she definitely wasn't her mother.

Emma clenched her fists and bit her tongue.

"This whole time?" Mary Margaret cried. "Why didn't you say something? I would have found you someone else."

Emma's lips trembled. She didn't want someone else. "You never asked. And I didn't want you to do this, what you're doing right now."

Something in her daughter's expression made Mary Margaret pause. Her tone became more calculated. "Emma."

"You're mad at me for hanging out with her."

"Honey, we aren't."

"But you are. I can hear it in your voice. You hate her. The thought of me even being near her. Associating with her."

"Emma, sweetheart, our families—"

"What went on between our families has nothing to do with me. And it doesn't have anything to do with Regina either. So leave us out of it."

"If we could just explain."

"I don't want another tutor. You're judging her. Because of Cora. And you know that's not fair. Regina's not a bad person and she's helping me. So can we just leave it at that?" Emma stormed upstairs, the first means of escape she saw. She burst into her room. Dropped her bag on the floor. Her parents were behind her, crowded in the doorway.

"Emma, you don't understand. Cora's—"

"No, obviously I don't understand," Emma snapped. "That must be another thing I'm too stupid to comprehend." She turned, arm half-way into her red leather jacket. "Aren't you the ones always spouting off second chances and forgiveness? Real good that you follow your own advice. Great example you've set. We're studying. It's not like I'm even around Cora, anyway."

"Emma. Please," David said. He had his hands up. Surrender. Like he was trying to coax a scared kitten out of a tree.

Only Emma wasn't scared. She was furious. "No. How am I supposed to trust anything you say if you can't even accept something as simple as that? Regina and I are friends!"

"Emma. You know you can trust us." Mary Margaret looked hurt. Emma knew it was a low blow. It went back to the adoption thing again. Her parents had spent more than ten years proving to her that no matter what she could trust them. And in one instant Emma had torn a hole in their work. Unraveled the thread they work so hard to spin. But she didn't care. She was tired of people judging Regina, and judging her because she saw more in Regina than most.

She grabbed her wallet out of her bag and scooped her phone off her bed.

"Emma, don't leave."

She blew past her parents and down the stairs. Her feet never missed a beat.

"Emma, where are you going?"

"I don't know yet. I need some air. I'll text you when I get there!" The door slammed behind her and she was gone. Gone and running. And, honestly, happy that she hadn't looked back. If she saw the way her parents stared at the door after her, she might have crumbled.

Right now she was falling. Spinning and spinning. Faster and faster. She didn't know where she was going to land. She didn't know where she wanted to land. Just somewhere safe for now. Something that felt real. And comforting. Something like home.

She stood on the porch, outside the towering front door of the Mayor's Mansion. This isn't exactly what safe looked like, she thought, especially according to her parents. But this is where she landed. Where she wanted to be.

Didn't she?

She reached for the doorbell, then curled her finger back.

She would knock first. Two quick raps. And if no-one answered she would leave.

Emma's knuckles hit the door. Her free hand drummed her thigh. She looked up and down the street. It was dark now. The streetlights were on. She felt spot-lighted where she stood, like all of Storybrooke was watching her.

The lock clicked on the other side of the door.

Emma let out the breath she was holding, pent up, in the bottom of her lungs. Two dark eyes appeared, shadowed by the light from inside. It was Regina.

"Emma?"

"I'm sorry. I just couldn't . . . and then I left . . . I was here and knocking." She paused. Licked her lips. Started again. "I shouldn't have bothered you. It's late. I—"

"Do you want to come in?"

Emma glanced at the garage.

Regina gave a small shrug, anticipating Emma's concern. "Mother's at a dinner party. She won't be home until way after midnight." Regina opened the door wider, letting Emma step inside. "Can I get you anything?" she asked, leading Emma to the kitchen.

"Water," Emma croaked, realizing, for the first time in hours how dry her throat was.

Regina smirked. "I was just about to make a snack." She pulled an apple turnover from the fridge and held it out. An offering. "We could share."

With a full glass of water under her belt and another sitting beside her plate, Emma took the fork Regina offered her and dug in. This was the first time she had eaten since lunch. She was starving and frustrated, and slightly shell-shocked that she was sitting in Regina's kitchen, eating baked goods. Really amazing baked goods.

"This is _so_ good," Emma mumbled, mouth watering.

"Thanks," Regina said, licking off the end of her fork.

Emma double-blinked. Suddenly understanding. "You made this? Everything you do and you find time to bake too?"

"I dabble," Regina said absently. "It helps pass the time."

"Well, this is delicious. You can come pass the time at my place with your apple turnovers anytime."

Regina chuckled and moved the dishes to the sink.

Emma stood and moved to stand beside her. Wordlessly offering Regina the small towel that she had tugged off the counter. Emma would wash and Regina could dry.

It was a quiet affair. One that gave them time and an excuse to linger exceptionally close. Arms bumping, hands touching. Everything smelt of apples. The dishwater. Regina. It permeated the air, intoxicating Emma with indescribable happiness.

It wasn't until a pair of headlights waved across the kitchen, filtering in through the bay windows at the front of the house, that Emma realized there were no more dishes in the sink, and that her hands had become shrivelled prunes.

Regina turned with a frown; brow furrowed, and handed the towel to Emma. "Did you text your parents?" she asked, peeking through the curtains.

"No," Emma grumbled, coming up behind Regina. "Stupid GPS on my phone."

"They must really care about you if they showed up here."

Emma's lips curled at the corner. There was relief there, fluttering in her chest. A hollow weight that lifted, realizing that they had come after her, despite how angry she still was with them. Family meant there were ties that nothing could sever, and Emma rejoiced silently, knowing that what she had was a real family. "They do," she agreed. "I better go."

She used the door for support as she slipped on her shoes. Her worn and dead beat shoes that immediately ruined the look of the mansion's front entrance. "I'm sorry for bargaining in on you," she said to Regina. "I hope I didn't ruin your night."

"You didn't," Regina assured her, standing close enough for Emma to see her pupils dilate. "Just surprised me, that's all."

"Really." Emma tilted her head. "How?"

Regina laughed unconsciously and looked down, a blush running across her cheeks. She was beautiful and Emma's heart beat so fast it hurt. She was falling so fast.

"Truthfully, I figured you'd have an argument with your parents once you got home, but I thought you'd run to Ms. Lucas if you were going to go anywhere. And instead you came here. To me."

Emma rocked on her heels. She was in unknown territory for the moment. "Is that okay?" she asked uncertainly.

Regina nodded slowly, like she was processing the answer she was about to give. And then she whispered, "Yes."

* * *

Emma sat on her bed, her parents tucked on either side of her. "We're sorry, kiddo. For everything that happened tonight. You're right. We weren't being fair to Regina and were sorry. You're a great judge of character Emma, and we should have trusted that judgement. You still can't be running off without letting us know where you are, but we just want you to know that you _can _trust us."

"I know. I'm sorry I said those things. I didn't mean the stuff about not trusting you guys. I was angry and it was stupid. I didn't mean any of it." Emma's hands uncurled from the sheets bunched around her knees. The leaded weight melted off her shoulders.

Her dad kissed the top of her head. "We hoped that much." The words were murmured into her hair and Emma felt safe. Secure. Home.

Her mom's arm was wrapped around her back. She squeezed gently. "We want you to keep tutoring with Regina. If she's helping you, then you should continue."

"Thanks."

"Just no more late night take-offs, okay?"

Emma nodded. "Okay."

"Good. Now get some sleep." Her dad climbed off the bed so Emma could scurry beneath the sheets.

Her mom was still perched on the edge of her bed. She looked down at her and bent to kiss her forehead. "I love you, Emma," she whispered, the words ghosting across Emma's forehead.

"I love you too."

"Always," her mom said.

Emma smiled in the darkness once her dad had turned out the lights. She felt her mom's weight leave the bed, but before she could leave the room, Emma whispered, "Always."

* * *

**I just wanted to say a huge thanks for all your wonderful comments. They are the sole inspiration for this story. Please continue to read and favorite and review :D I also wanted to say that I won't be able to update for a couple weeks. My crazy internet-sucking family has almost maxed out our monthly usage so I have to, regrettably, limit my extraneous internet usage. :( But fear not, I will be back, and so will Regina and Emma. It looks like their whirl-wind friendship has finally moved to something more. **

**And that first kiss is coming. I promise you.**

**In the mean time, let me know what you thought! :D**


	13. Chapter 13

Emma heard Ruby before she saw her. Somehow the squeak of her favourite pair of Converse sneakers sliding down the half-waxed school hallway had imbedded itself into Emma's brain.

"Holy crap!" Ruby squealed as she came to an abrupt halt by Emma's locker. The door was thrust out of the way with a pound of Ruby's fist and Emma was just glad that she had the forethought to move her fingers, yet they be crushed by the faded, paint-peeled rim. "You've been M.I.A for like three days. What's going on? I thought you died or something."

Emma checked her grin. The lopsided one that seemed like a new, permanent fixture on her face. The past twenty-four hours had been interesting. Freaking crazy and exhilarating and something that left her stomach feeling unusually light. Like maybe she had swallowed helium for breakfast instead of a stack of waffles. But it was a good kind of feeling. The best actually. And it was all because of Regina.

Oh, damn. She said the name. Well, thought it at least. There goes her self-control. She was practically beaming now. Staring off into the shallow depths of the hall. Grey lined and murky under weak incandescent bulbs, and yet she felt as if she was staring at the most glorious sunset ever bestowed upon the eyes of man.

Ruby grabbed her by the shoulder. Squeezed hard. "Dude. You're freaking me out!"

Emma snapped her head around and looked at her friend. Really looked. The puckered brow, the worry lines that split Ruby's wide forehead. The crease at the bottom of her chin. "Sorry," Emma murmured. "I kind of had a situation with Regina."

"Oh." Ruby's brow crinkled into a hill-topped terrain.

"No, not with her, but because of her." Emma waved her hands, metaphorically erasing whatever she had just spouted. "My parents found out. About us. And the tutoring."

"Ahh." This time Ruby understood. The words hit home. "So how'd they take it?" she asked, sliding down to sit on the floor.

Emma joined her a moment later. "As well as can be expected, I guess." She pursed her lips, and tilted her head thoughtfully. "Actually they were okay, after the initial blow up. I think my mom's going to ream out Gold, but they stopped threatening to find me another tutor, so I'm happy about that."

Ruby chuckled. "Do you feel ready for tomorrow at least?

"Yes."

Ruby followed up Emma's quick response with a slow, drawn-out head nod. "It's a big test. Is there anything else you want to go over with Regina?"

"We've covered the material backwards and forwards. I think I need to just stew on it for a while now. You know when you just have so much in your brain nothing computes anymore?"

Ruby nodded.

"That's what's happening right now. Besides, Regina's off on some retreat for student parliament for the next week."

"Well, take the night off and skim your notes in the morning. You'll do great Emma. I know it."

* * *

It had been a week and two days since Emma had seen Regina Mills. The week was to accommodate the state-wide retreat that invited high school parliament members to partake in an array of learning activities. That had left Regina in the company of Katherine, and a very bored, and sort-of jealous Emma to stare absently at the chapters of her text book that she had yet to cover, while imagining the kinds of things she would rather be doing with Regina if she had gone to Boston with her instead.

The extra two days were because Emma had come down with a terrible cold that had her laid up in bed with plugged sinuses, watery eyes, and double vision.

On this particular morning she had woken to the sweet smell of Vick's Vapo-rub smeared across her chest. It burnt her throat and made her cough. And it was amazing, because she could breathe for the first time in forty-eight hours. "Thank you," Emma muttered, pushing herself into a sitting position.

She stared avidly at her closed door where quick successive raps were echoing.

"Hello?" Emma croaked.

The door opened. It was her mom.

Mary Margaret poked her head around the door and smiled at her daughter.

Emma glanced at the clock on her nightstand. It was already after nine.

"You're late," Emma said. "I'm late." She attempted to kick the tangle of covers off her feet but was halted by a hand glued to the front on her head.

"I don't think so," Mary Margaret said. She shoved a thermometer in Emma's mouth, silencing the protests before they could start.

Emma couldn't talk with that thing in her mouth. It triggered her gag reflex.

"Hmm," Mary Margaret murmured as she pulled the beeping device from Emma's mouth. "Still a tad high. I think you're stuck home again today, sweetie."

"C'mon," Emma said. "Gold's handing back our tests today. I have to be there." She struggled against the sheets again.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"It's a great idea. I'm fine. See." Emma inhaled so deeply she shook. "Full nasal capacity."

"You're still sick."

"Argh," Emma groaned, flopping back down on her pillow. She crossed her arms and with a huff, and proceeded to have a silent tantrum.

Mary Margaret smiled coyly. The last time she saw Emma this enthusiastic about being at school was when she was still allowed to mix paint with her fingers. "I'll make you a deal," she said finally. "Stay home. Rest for the day, and then you can meet Gold after last period to pick up your test."

Emma smirked and curled under the blankets again. She was a bit groggy after all. Perhaps a few more hours of sleep wouldn't hurt. "Okay, deal."

Mary Margaret bent to kiss the top of Emma's head. "Be good. No junk food."

"Sure, sure," Emma mumbled.

"I'm serious. I'm taking the chips with me."

Emma waved her off. "Got it." She waited until she heard the car pull out of the driveway. Then she texted Ruby. Judging by the tang of morning breath on her tongue, her taste buds were working again, and Granny's brownies were to die for.

* * *

Regina felt the impact as she opened the door. It was a simultaneous action that tossed her backwards and slammed her against the wall. The only thing that stopped her from plastering herself painfully into the drywall was Emma's arms wrapped tight around her waist.

Wait.

Emma Swan was wrapped around her like a squid?

What was happening?

A mane of blonde hair wove around her shoulders. Regina swallowed the shock. Inhaled. Emma smelled like vanilla and cinnamon. Regina had missed that. Missed her.

"Look," Emma squealed, pulling away and thrusting a crumpled sheet of paper at Regina. "I passed. I passed!"

Regina focused, stretching the sheet back out as Emma spun in circles in her foyer. "Sixty-seven percent?" Regina said, looking over the test. Her eyes scanned quickly, expertly flitting between the red marks. "Emma, that's hardly—"

But Emma wouldn't hear it. She grabbed Regina's hands and smiled so wide Regina's frown fell away instantly. "I passed, Regina. I actually got above a fifty for once. Can you believe it?"

Regina smiled. There was definitely room for a lot of improvement, but Emma was so ecstatic she didn't think she could rob her of that. Not this time.

"Maybe next time I'll get a B," Emma mused. "If I start studying now that gives me a whole eight days to figure it out."

Emma rambled and rambled until she realized Regina was looking at her with this kind of puzzled admiration. She had her head tilted and her hands were still gripped in Emma's. Emma looked down and then up, following the trail of their linked hands all the way up to Regina's eyes and then down to her lips. It was pull and instinct and too much waiting on Emma's part. She leaned forward for a moment and placed a whisper of a kiss against Regina's lips.

Then she backed away hastily, dropping their linked hands, giving the brunette room to react. She might have just ruined everything—the tentative friendship, the easy truths, the safe silence—but Emma didn't care. Nothing felt more right in this moment.

Regina's expression was hard to read, mainly because her face was cast towards the ground, but Emma was pretty sure there was shock there. Heck, she had even shocked herself.

Regina cleared her throat. Unsteady fingers reached up to graze her lips. "You kissed me," she murmured.

"Sorry," Emma whispered, fingers hooked in her back pockets. She tipped back and forth on her heels. Casual. Awkward. But completely unapologetic. She may have wished it hadn't happened like that. But she didn't wish away the moment for anything. "I just wanted to say thank you," she explained. "I didn't mean for it to come out quite like that."

Was that a lie?

Emma bit her lip. The silence was starting to drag. She would have to start whistling soon.

Regina shook her head slowly and then a smile split across her face. She reached out for the blonde's waist, dropping the test, knocking Emma off balance to pull her closer, this time drawing their faces together for a long moment; a moment that left both of them breathless.

"Thank you," Emma said when they parted. She had her eyes closed and her forehead pressed against Regina's, perfectly content to just breathe in her intoxicating smell. Apples. And other things. But there were always apples.

"For what?" Regina asked, just as breathless. A giddy smile stretched her lips.

Emma shrugged and giggled. "Everything," she said. "Just all of it."

The grandfather clock chimed in the dining room and suddenly Regina straightened, like someone had shoved an iron rod down her spine. She looked over her shoulder for a brief second and then back at Emma. Disappointment flashed across her face. "Mother will be home any minute," she whispered urgently. Her voice said one thing but her eyes spoke another. "You should go."

Emma nodded. "Yeah, sorry, I just wanted to show you." She backed towards the door. "The test, I mean. I couldn't wait until tomorrow."

Regina smiled at her, following Emma onto the porch. "I'm glad you came."

"Me too," Emma said. They shared one more breathless look and then she disappeared, turning the corner of the street at the end of the block just as the Mayor's car pulled into the driveway.

* * *

Cora parked at the end of the driveway instead of pulling into the garage. She was just stopping at home to change. Her meeting had run late and now she had twenty five minutes to get to the restaurant across town before her investors opened their first bottle of wine. If she didn't land the proposal before then she wouldn't get a dime out of them.

She hurried up the steps and unlocked the door, a stack of blueprints tucked under her arm. She dropped them by the front door with her purse, the same place she abandoned her heels.

On the way to the kitchen her eyes darted to something lying on the floor.

Cora frowned.

Regina knew better than to leave her homework lying around. What kind of representation was it on their home? She snatched the paper from the floor, curled her fist around it.

"Regina!" she called.

A pair of footsteps could be heard rushing down the stairs. Cora waited. Foot tapping. She glanced at the page in her hand. The course code in the corner of the paper made her pause. It wasn't a course Regina was currently enrolled in.

She unrolled the page. Smoothed the creases. Her eyes froze on the name at the top. EMMA SWAN. Why the hell had a test belonging to that girl been lying on her hallway floor? Never mind the floor. Why was it even in her home?

"Yes mother?" Regina said, pausing on the landing. Her cheeks were flushed; mind still caught up on the whirlwind kiss she had just shared with Emma.

Cora folded the paper under her arm, her tone sharp. "I will be late tonight. Make sure the sprinklers are set and that the lights in the foyer are left on please."

"Of course," Regina said. Had she really expected anything else?

"One more thing." Cora looked up at her daughter. Eyes zeroed in. Stone-faced. "You are not to be associating with Emma Swan. Or anyone from that family. Is that clear?"


	14. Chapter 14

Emma was in a fantastic mood.

Like she had just been made queen of the world.

"Why are you so smiley? We're at school," Ruby said, reminding her of the crowded halls and smelly bathrooms.

"I know."

"That's not an answer."

"I'm just happy today."

Ruby shrugged. "So the test went well then?"

"Passed with flying colours." Emma grinned proudly.

Ruby stopped applying her eyeliner, looked around her locker door. "Seriously?"

"Okay, well," Emma began. "I guess I could improve. But I passed. Gold said if I keep it up I'll be in good shape to pass the course."

Ruby nodded approvingly. "Scholarship here we come."

"You bet," Emma said, craning her neck to see the student council office. The door was shut. The lights were still off.

"What are you looking at?" Ruby checked over her shoulder, following Emma's line of sight. She turned back. "Haven't told Regina yet? Oh!" she said suddenly. "Does this mean tutoring is over?"

Emma blanched on the spot. "No. This means it's just starting."

Ruby grinned mischievously. "I was just asking. You can relax. And just so you know I saw Regina this morning. She was here early unpacking her car; I just haven't seen her come up here yet."

"She's always up here by now."

"I know, which is why I usually avoid this place just before the bell."

Emma hummed her wonder. She would just have to catch her later.

Ninety minutes later to be exact. First period let out and Emma raced back down the science hall. The door to the office was ajar. She pushed past people, parting crowds of gossiping girls and intercepting football passes. Then she saw her.

Regina left the office, locked the door, and turned right in her direction.

Emma smiled at her, but the brunette looked right past her, no, right through her, like she didn't even exist. Then Regina turned and stalked in the opposite direction, the complete wrong direction for her next class.

"Regina!" Emma called. There was no response. No acknowledgment. Nothing. The brunette simply walked away.

That was weird. The disappointment on her face was visible as Emma got stuck in a crowd heading in the opposite direction, and like a fish, just had to go with the flow of traffic. It dropped her off near the history wing and she marched dejectedly to history, pondering Regina. The blank look on her face. The fact that she always seemed to be going in the opposite direction, even when it was out of her way.

Emma waited for her at lunch, when they usually met for some quick review, but Regina didn't come. Having seen absolutely no sign of her by third period, Emma didn't wonder anymore, she knew: Regina was avoiding her. And she wanted to know why. Well, she could assume why, but she wanted to talk to her.

So she waited in the east stairwell, the one Regina had to take to get to Calculus.

Emma stared out the window. Dandelions were growing along the white stripes that marked the soccer field. She heard the door open behind her, the sharp intake of breath. Saw the moment of hesitation in Regina's reflection. But it was too late. Emma had seen her, knew she was there.

Emma spun slowly and Regina walked briskly, hands clenched around the strap of her bag, eyes focused on the floor.

Emma moved to meet her. "Hey. You okay?" she asked.

Regina gave a jerky nod, head down, trying desperately to side step Emma. Sensing this, Emma stood firm, wide, like when she came up against the opposing team on the soccer field. She refused to let Regina pass.

"Cause you don't seem okay," Emma continued. "You've been avoiding me all day. I'm sorry about yesterday. If this is because of the kiss—"

"Ms. Swan, I have a very important meeting to attend and you've just made me late."

Emma took a step back. One step down. Regina attempted to follow her, determined to get by, but Emma's hands shot out and squeezed the railings on either side of her. "Ms. Swan? Really? Is that what we're going back to now?" She stared straight up, forcing Regina to look at her. "What's going on, Regina?"

"Emma . . ."

This time Regina said her name. It was whispered and shaky, just like her lower jaw.

"Hey," Emma said gently, taking Regina's hand and pulling her back onto the landing. In the light she could see the glassy look in Regina's eyes. The one that told Emma there were tears building behind that hard exterior. "What is it?"

"We can't do this anymore," she whispered, looking anywhere but at Emma. Right now that meant craning her head over her shoulder, to see out the window, her gaze falling just short of the soccer pitch. She blinked a few times, and almost broke down when Emma squeezed her hand in gentle succession.

"Mother said I can't do this anymore," Regina spoke when she felt confident that the words wouldn't crumble under her breath. "I have to stop our associations."

"Why?"

"Mother found out. She was angry."

"I think we kind of expected that."

"Yes, but you didn't see the fury in her eyes. She's cold and distant, but she's never looked at me like that. Like I was an embarrassment. Like I was dishonoring her."

"Okay," Emma said. She took a steadying breath. "If it will make this better, then we'll stop. Of course. Gold can always find me another tutor. Heck, I'll get Ruby to help if I have to. And we can avoid each other. It can't be that hard to just pretend that you don't exist."

"Emma," Regina said imploringly.

Emma could sense a question there and simply waited.

"What are we _doing_?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing, but it sounds like you're about to ditch me. So . . ."

"I don't want to," Regina said sincerely, her voice cracking with emotion. "I just thought you might stop trying if I ignored you. It would have been easier if you just walked away. Mother forbid me from being around you and I know I should respect her wishes, but I don't think I can. I couldn't break it off with you. The tutoring or, well . . ."

"So then, what _are_ we doing exactly?" Emma asked when Regina's words failed.

"I'm not really certain," she admitted. "But I did like it. When you kissed me."

"Oh good." She sighed. Relieved. "I mean, yeah," Emma giggled nervously. "Me too."

Regina looked at their interwoven hands. Somehow the way the melted together felt right, not because they fit, but because they explored each other. The groves on their palms, the arch between their thumb and forefinger. Each hand moved and squeezed and begged for more. Always moving, never stopping. Always searching for something.

"I guess for now . . . I guess we're just figuring things out."

"I like that," Emma said. She leaned forward, just a little. Bent her knees just a little. Her right hand left Regina's and traced a pattern up the side of her cheek before tucking into ebony hair.

"Emma, not here," Regina whispered, voice already too hot and heavy for Emma to take seriously.

"There's no one around. We're safe." She tipped her chin and her lips met Regina's. It was gentle and a bit hesitant. Emma opened her mouth to deepen the kiss, fingers threaded through Regina's hair, molding her lips closer as they rose and fell into each other.

Regina closed her eyes, afraid to look, for fear the moment would end too soon, and so completely lost in bliss that the only way to keep her head from spinning off her neck was to delve into the darkness. Emma's lips grew bold against hers and the kisses became longer, hotter, less sound and more breath. Fingers traced jaw bones. Hands grabbed hips. Time slipped away. Moments into minutes.

Finally they parted, all smiles and batting eyelashes. Blushes and giggles.

"Does that help you figure things out?" Emma asked, pecking Regina on the side of the cheek right where a blood red line rose to the surface.

Regina's hand automatically rose to catch the blush. "It does," she said.

"Good, because I don't know if I'm gunna be able to stop anytime soon."

Regina smiled. They stayed like that for several moments, minds buzzing, senses whirling. Then Regina turned away quickly and sneezed.

Emma frowned. "Bless you," she whispered. When Regina turned back, Emma's hand moved through her dark hair and across a blanched forehead. She did look a little flushed. How had she not noticed it before?

Regina studied Emma's face uncertainly. She wiggled her nose, which was unbelievably cute, Emma thought, but only a reaction to the tingling sensation that was bothering her. Regina turned away again to catch a sneeze in the crook of her elbow. "Goodness," she said, inhaling a shaky, sinus clearing breath. One Emma knew all too well. "I think I'm coming down with something." She took one look at Emma. Eyes to lips and gasped. Regina touched her bottom lip with the pads of her fingers. "You shouldn't stand too close. I might get you sick."

"Don't worry," Emma said. "I have a good immune system."

But Regina wouldn't hear it. She put an arm's length between them and Emma pouted. Shrugged. "I have to get to class anyway. Are you gunna be okay?"

Regina nodded. "I'm better than okay right now. I'm glad we talked."

"You can always talk to me," Emma promised her. "About anything. I'm a good listener."

Regina sighed. "I'll see you later then?"

Emma smiled. "You won't even have time to miss me."

* * *

As it turned out it was Emma missing Regina, because after their meeting in stairwell, the student body president had gone home sick. It took Emma five minutes to wriggle the information out of the attendance secretary, which was understandable with security and privacy and all that, but it took another twenty minutes to finally get a hold of Regina. Emma had been starting to worry.

"Hello?" Regina croaked on the other end of the phone.

"Hey. Are you alright? I didn't know where you went." She paused, then said, "You sound awful."

"I feel awful."

"Yeah, it comes on kind of sudden. Do you need anything?"

"I'll be fine," Regina said between a bought of coughing and one violent sneeze that sent Emma spiraling away from her phone.

"You're not fine. I'm coming over."

"Emma, don't."

"Is your mom there?"

"Emma . . ."

"Is she?"

"She's at town hall," Regina finally conceded.

"Then I'll be there soon."

"Emma—"

The phone died out before Regina had a chance to argue.

* * *

Emma was pleased to find the back door open for her. Regina had sent her a text, something along the lines of: IF YOU INSIST ON COMING, THE REAR PATIO WILL BE UNLOCKED. It made her heart murmur a little, knowing Regina had wanted her here, despite the constant denials.

Emma slipped inside and padded across the kitchen to the foyer and up the massive staircase, taking the steps two at a time. She found Regina's room easily this time, the frustrated sigh of someone who wanted to be anything other than sick, drawing her forward.

She knocked once. No answer. The door was ajar, so she poked her head inside and then followed with the rest of her body.

Regina was curled up on her bed in a ball. She looked over her shoulder long enough to see Emma. Her eyes were half closed, already red and puffy, but the smallest flicker of a smile brushed her lips before she frowned. "I told you not to come. You'll get sick."

"I've already had it." Emma dropped her bag at the foot of the bed and climbed onto the mattress next to Regina.

"Too close," Regina coughed.

Emma crawled forward, across the king size comforter and snuggled up behind Regina. Her nose was in her hair. "I'm immune. Your germs can't hurt me."

"You gave me this?" Regina said in a pouty voice.

Emma chuckled and nodded into her hair. "Sorry. Casualty of hanging out with me in the stairwells I guess."

"Actually you attacked me in my front foyer first."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that too. I'll make it up to you."

"You have to get back to school."

"I signed out the rest of the afternoon. We had that bogus trip to the pier planned for art class anyway, and my mom thinks I'm studying, so it's fine. I'm free to take care of you."

"I'm okay," Regina insisted. She coughed, sniffled. Reached into the pile of half used tissues.

"Sure, sure," Emma said. "First thing's first. We have to increase your fluid intake."

In a flash Emma had disappeared. If not for the occasional clanking coming from the kitchen downstairs, Regina might have thought she hallucinated the entire thing. Emma returned five minutes later with a piping hot tea.

"I know it's too hot to drink right now, but you can lean over it while it cools. The steam will help loosen the sinuses. And when all else fails." Emma rattled a bottle in her hand. "Cold medication does wonders. This stuff will knock you out till tomorrow."

She passed Regina the tea and waited by her side while the steam worked its magic. It helped, for a little. Regina was breathing easier, coughing less. When the drink cooled, Emma handed Regina two tube-like blue pills. "Down the hatch," she said.

Regina swallowed them with a gulp of tea and handed the cup back to Emma, who placed it on the dresser.

The small amount of effort seemed to exhaust Regina and she fell in a heap against her pillows. Emma lied down behind Regina again, her finger trailing up and down the brunettes arm.

"That feels nice," Regina said, yawning her approval. She snuggled back, closer to Emma.

"Yeah?" Emma widened the path of her tracing to include Regina's back. She drew loose circles in random patterns until she felt the other girl relax completely. Her breathing slowed. The coughing stopped. The medicine had finally kicked in.

Emma thought it best to leave before Cora made an appearance.

She gathered her things now that Regina was resting peacefully, kissing the top of her head quickly before leaving.

Emma returned the next day. She couldn't miss class again but she spent her lunch period relaying school happenings to Regina, and helping her select a DJ for the school dance. The brunette only lasted an hour before exhaustion took over and Emma left her to rest. The next day was the same, only Emma returned after school as well, having been informed that Cora would be out of town for the night. She stayed by Regina long past dinner. They ate chicken soup and watched the cooking channel.

It was simple and quiet. Just the two of them, not doing much of anything, until Regina forced Emma to open her history textbook and read her the next chapter out loud.

Emma did, finding the task of homework so much more enjoyable with Regina leaning up against her. She asked questions and Regina murmured answers and pointed with tired fingers.

Several times Emma meant to stop, seeing the drooping eyelids on her tutor, but Regina would snap awake and prod her side. "Keep going," she instructed.

"You're tired," Emma said.

"I'm fine."

Emma shuffled up, repositioning the pillows behind her back. "You must be getting better," she said. "You're a lot bossier today."

Regina chuckled against Emma's arm. It made her skin tingle wherever warm breath passed through her sweater. "I do feel much better. Tired but the aches are gone."

Emma nodded. "Seems to only last a few days."

"Emma," Regina said quietly, almost reverently. "Thank you. For coming each day and staying with me."

Emma meant to say something. Anything. Of course. No big deal. Brush it off. But she couldn't. Her throat was shriveled. Dry. Cracked. Refusing to let anything but air pass through. She wanted to kiss Regina so bad. Just reach out and . . .

It scared the crap out of her.

There was something completely frightening about being this close to Regina, in a bed, while she had kissing on her mind. They had spent three days tucked up beside each other with no problems, but the way Regina was looking at her now made her heart flip and her stomach squirm. She was nervous. Everything was different like this. It felt more exhilarating and new. Intimate. But also wonderful in a way that Emma wanted to experience.

Her lower stomach made a series of lurching motions before a warm heat pooled there. Her hands were already roaming Regina's waist.

She watched Regina carefully, every nuance, every fluctuation in her eyes. There was nothing there that told her to stop. In fact, the intensity in her eyes screamed: GO. And Emma did. She leaned over the brunette, bringing her lips to meet hers in a heated burst of kisses. The heat in her stomach spread, upwards, outwards, making her heart race. And everything felt good. Her head. Her body. She followed the sensations and Regina's prompts.

Warm hands grabbed the belt loops on her pants and yanked her forward until she was straddling Regina. Emma shifted, adjusting her weight to fall on her knees which were plastered to either side of Regina's hips.

She sat up, her hands trailing down Regina's sides, following the hourglass from waist to hip, somewhere along the way finding a soft patch of skin to caress.

Regina made a small sigh. Almost a whimper. And Emma stilled.

"Are you okay?" she asked, tucking her hair behind her ears. It fell long past her shoulders and brushed the sides of Regina's face when she bent to kiss her.

Regina nodded slowly. Exhaled and said, "Yes."

So Emma continued, hands trailing beneath her shirt, along her waist. Then Emma lowered her mouth to the same trail her hands had just blazed, dragging her lips along soft skin. Regina's chest rose suddenly, a rush of air caught in her lungs. The muscles beneath her skin contracted, responding to Emma's touch.

"That feels good," Regina said. Her hands were balled beside her head and as Emma made another pass, this one dangerously close to the hem of her pants, she started rocking.

Emma had noticed this. Sensed her own need to move, to be closer, to remove more of Regina's clothing and just touch and see and marvel at how amazing it felt to be so close to someone that she felt so deeply about.

"Do you want to keep going?" Emma asked. She knew she liked Regina, really liked her. And at some point, maybe this point, maybe later, would be willing to give her that part of herself. But maybe it was too fast. Maybe kissing and soft touches should be enough for a while. Could be enough. But there was the matter of how good it felt to be like this. Close. Exposed skin. Each pass of the lips or caress of the hand alighting new sensations inside her. They gathered beneath her stomach. Lower and lower until she could feel some burning need. A pent up energy that needed to be released. If they stayed like this it would happen. Chemicals and lust and want and need.

But if Regina wasn't ready they could wait. They would just have to stop touching for a while. If they could.

"Do you?" Regina responded. "Want to keep going?"

"Maybe," Emma said, crawling up to reach Regina's lips once again. She kissed her hard, tongue teasing Regina's lower lip. She hummed contentedly. "Yes. Definitely yes. But I don't want to take advantage of you in your current condition."

Regina laughed. A breathy, bell like sound. "As if. I'm sick, not incompetent."

They stayed like that for a moment, pressed together, each new breath sending their nerves into overdrive.

"Have you ever?" Regina asked, biting her lip. Her eyes fluttered self-consciously, but Emma just bent and kissed the corner of her mouth.

"No. Have you?"

Regina shook her head. Her hands were under Emma's shirt now, riding higher and higher against taught planes of stomach. It was very clear that Emma was an athlete, the way her muscles sculpted beneath the pads of Regina's fingers.

Emma moaned when Regina's hands slipped around her back to pull her closer.

Then they heard a series of beeps. An alarm. The front door opened and closed.

Emma froze, fingers tracing the buttons on Regina's blouse. The still done-up buttons. "Is that your mom?" she said in a panicked whisper. Immediately she rolled off Regina, eyes finding the door, the slightly open door. Had it been like that the whole time? Emma cursed. "I thought you said she was working."

"She is," Regina said. She crawled off the edge of the bed, pulling her shirt back down as she peered out the window. "It's the maid. I forgot she was coming today."

"You have a maid?"

Regina scowled at her.

"Right. Stupid question."

Regina straightened, flipped her hair. Even sick and bed-ridden she looked completely gorgeous and put together. She rolled up her sleeves, all at once, focused and alert. "We need to get you out of here. If she sees you she'll tell my mother."

"Crap," Emma muttered, rearranging her clothes and diving to the floor for her backpack.

Regina cleared her throat and turned to face Emma. "I'll go down and distract her. You slip out the back door."

Emma nodded. "Alright. So uh, I'll see you tomorrow?"

Regina took her hand, pulling her towards the door. She grabbed Emma's face and kissed her goodbye. "That's a thank you," Regina whispered. "Now go, down the back stairwell. It leads to the kitchen."

Emma's heart pounded in her ears as she descended the stairs. She could hear Regina talking to the maid. It was Spanish and Emma almost froze at the door instead of walking out of it. Regina spoke fluent Spanish. God was that ever sexy. She'd have to get Regina to teach her some of that next time they were laid up in bed together.

She heard footsteps coming down the hall. Regina cleared her throat, snapping Emma out of her trance. She slipped out the door and around the back of the mansion, feeling like some wanted criminal.

That was too close.


End file.
